The Glory Of Love
by slytherensangel26
Summary: <html><head></head>Sequel To Christmas To Remember. 6th installment of The Raising The Pterodactyl Series. As Conner and Kira plan their wedding, enemies old and new resurface to wreak havoc and bring chaos to what should have been a happy experience. Rated M for sensitive subject matter, language, and mature adult situations.</html>
1. Prologue: A Moment To Themselves

So, I've finally gotten around to writing this peice. It pics up about a month after 'Christmas To Remember.' Be ready for some twists and even some romance for one of the single rangers.

I hope you all like this!

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><p><strong>Angel Grove Lake<strong>

**Early Febuary**

**Dusk**

The sun was just beginning to retreat, casting a soft rosy glow on the horizon. It was a beautiful sight and it shown down on the two lovebirds that were nestled together in a chaise lounge on the shore.

There was a gentle breeze that blew across the surface of the water, causing the water to lap against the shore.

Kira yawned and lay against Connor's chest. The latter looked down at the blonde beauty and kissed her head.

The calm night lulled them into a stupor. Everything was so perfect, it was almost too good to be true, Almost. The day had been a good one, they had all come to this lake (the weather had been a perfect 70 degrees) to have a picnic, The next morning, Tommy and Kim would be leaving for their week long getaway. That of course meant that Kayla would be spending the week with her brothers and sisters till her parents came back.

So this moment was just for them.

The next morning, they were meeting with the wedding planner, Callista Lenox. She had come strongly recommended by Alma, the nice elderly lady who ran the dress shop at Angel Grove Mall. That would begin the long process of planning their upcoming wedding. The date was set for March 15, the first day of spring break in their area of California.

That gave them about 2 months to pull it all together. It would be daunting, but that was nothing new to them.

That wasn't the only thing going on during this week of course. With the Olivers gone for the week, the ladies were free to plan a baby shower for Kimberly, who had just passed her 5th month of pregnancy. And the Olivers weren't the only ones who were expecting, Their friends, They had just found out a few weeks before, more precisely on Christmas Eve that Ethan and his girlfriend were expecting a baby of their own.

Just one more huge event in what they hoped would be a nice calm year.

Yeah, like that was gonna happen.

Kira yawned and looked up to see Connor smiling down at her and then he gently lifted her up to press a kiss to her lips. As he did that, Kira shifted so that she was sitting on his lap. Connor wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him while the kiss continued, gently restrained by the both of them to prevent them both going over the edge, though they both had discussed having children, they were not about to rush it. Connor didn't even have a place for them to live yet, they were still sharing a room at the Mannor that was something like a commune. Everyone whom had ever borne the mantle of The Great Power could come there to rest and relax.

They had already began their jobs at the dojo that their friends had owned and were currently taught the class for the younger kids. The two of them had already become well loved by their class and respected by the older kids. Everynight, after the dojo had closed for the day, they all went to their own private class back at the manor dojo.

Adam himself had taken Connor under his wing, as Tanya did for Kira. The training was always intense for them, which was how they liked it. Most nights they were also joined by Kyle and Autumn.

The training never slack, and neither did they. Connor was in the best shape of his life, and so was Kira.

Their lives were finally full. They were head over hills for each other, Kira's parents were in their lives and that bastard that masqueraded as Kira's dad was behind bars.

Life couldn't get much better then how it was…until of course they were married. It was an exciting time for the both of them. They would soon have their very own happy ending.

The kiss ended as Connor's cell phone went off. Kira rested her head against his chest as the former leader of the Dino Thunder team answered the call.

"Hello?"

_"Hey Connor, it's Eric, I got your message. Do you really want to sell the mansion?"_

"Yeah, I want to downsize and move to a smaller house. Mom and Dad's will left it to the both of us. I need your okay before I can contact the real estate office."

The line was quiet for a moment.

_"I guess that would be okay, but didn't it have any value to you? I mean, we spent our childhood's there."_

"There's not much about it that I even remember. The Olivers have become like parents to me, I hardly even remember mom and dad."

_"If that's how you feel about it, then go ahead and sell it. Oh, and I'll be expecting half of the proceeds of the sell. The house is half mine."_

"Sounds good to me, you get half of it, and the other half is mine. Did you want to come with me when I go to the office?"

"_Yeah, it's been too long since we spent time together, when were you planning to go?"_

"Next Monday. This week is gonna be really busy for Kira and I. We're meeting up with the wedding planner tomorrow."

_"I didn't know you were getting married. Why am I just now hearing about this?"_

"I only just proposed a month and a half ago. Not many people know about it. You gonna come to it?"

_"Of course! You're my brother. Congrats!"_

"Thanks. I'll be seeing you next week then? Say Monday at around 10?"

_"I'll be there. I can't wait to meet your fiancée. Kira, isn't it?"_

"Yeah and soon she'll be Mrs. Connor McKnight."

_"You're such a sap."_

"One of us had to be, Mr. Party Animal."

_"Hey now, I've settled down a lot since becoming a wind ninja."_

"I sure hope so."

Kira was beginning to doze off and Connor noticed.

"Hey, I better go. My bride is starting to fall asleep on me. We need to get home."

_"Okay, bro. See you next week."_

"I'll be there. Goodnight!"

_"Night!"_

Connor closed up his phone and then kissed Kira's head again. "Ready to go home?"

She yawned again. "Yeah, I can barely keep my eyes opened."

Connor chuckled and then waited for Kira to get up. When she did he walked her over to his car and helped her in before putting the blanket over her.

Kira was asleep within seconds.

Connor hastily fold up the chaise and then put it in the backseat before he threw the left over soda bottles into a nearby recycling bin. Once in the car, he buckled in and then started the engine.

He took only a minute before pulling out to turn on an all knight radio station. He hadn't heard the song very often, but this time I struck a chord in him.

_**I am a man who will fight for your honor **_

_**I'll be the hero you're dreaming of **_

_**We'll live forever **_

_**Knowing together that we Did it all for the glory of love **_

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><p><strong>I think that's a nice beginning to this story, it's kinda short but the Chapters will get lengthier. I hope this story gets as much love as the other's have. <strong>

**Song Credit goes to Peter Cetera. It's Called "Glory Of Love" this is the theme for the story, and I might just be using it alot. It's a wonderful song in my opinion and I think it fits the series, perfectly.**

**Please leave me some non flamitory reviews.**

**Oh, and this is kind of an afterthought, if anyone has a good ideas for this story, feel free to tell PM me!**


	2. Day One: Meeting the Wedding Planner

**Welcome back everyone! Once again I must apoligize for the long lull between updates. Unfortunitely, real life gets in the way and some major family drama took the wind out of my sails and ended up causing a major burn out. **

**I hope that all of you will enjoy this next chapter anyway!**

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><p>"Kira, where's Connor?" Kayla asked as she hopped around in an effort to put her left shoe on.<p>

"He told us me that he was going to take his car through the car wash."

"But why?"

Kira paused and helped her put her shoes on.

"First impressions are very important. In school, at job interviews, and big business dealings like this one. This wedding planner will be in charge of our wedding and so if we look like a million bucks, then we'll be treated like a million bucks.

"Really?" Kayla asked.

She'd been dressed in a t-shirt and blue jeans when she arrived but now she was dressed in a pair of stylish slacks and a pretty pink blouse. She wore a sparkly headband and a pair of matching sandals.

"Yeah, money can't buy happiness, but it can take the stress out of situations. And this wedding business is notorious for creating tension headaches and breakdowns."

"You mean like on TV? Those bridezillas?"

Kira smiled wryly. "Yeah, that's why I love it that your with us. If I start acting like them in any way, I want you to stop me, Ok?"

Kayla hugged her then and tightly. "I won't let that happen. I promise."

Kira laughed. "Thanks little ninja."

Connor opened the door then and took the both of them in. It was a warming sight. Kira looked so motherly, hugging Kayla like that.

"Connor!" Kayla said as she ran towards him and jumped in his arms.

"Hey ninja girl. I missed you!" Connor answered her grinning and hugging her back. "You almost ready to go?"

"I'm all ready. And you're dressed up too!" She said as he put her back down. Today, he wore a pair of black slacks and a white button-down shirt with a red tie.

The only new piece was a rather large ring that looked oddly antique. He followed Kira's gaze. "This was my father's ring. It's been handed down for centuries. I pulled it out of my family's safety deposit box this morning. One day, I'll pass it to our son…" He trailed off seeing her intake of breath. "…if it happens."

Kira smiled at him before she kissed his lips. "When we have a son." then she whispered in his ear. "I plan to give you one some day soon."

Connor grinned and kissed her back. "I love you."

"All right, you too keep making out, I'll just be in the car." Kayla said before she picked up the dream book and walked out. When she was gone, they broke apart laughing. She took his hand in hers. "We better get going, before she tries to drive the car."

"She'd better not." Connor said as he half pulled his bride towards the door.

They drove to a cozy looking ranch style house. The place screamed romance. The house was painted a soft blue with white trimming. On the left side of the driveway was a simple yet elegant fountain. In the middle of the water was a cherub that held a larger seashell aloft. Water fell through the grooves of the shell and fell down all around the cherub. On the other side was a comfortable looking two seated wooden swing that featured a canopy. Next to the swing was a small glass top table that glistened in the sun with two coasters resting on it.

Kira liked it immediately. "Connor, this is the kind of house I want, it looks so cozy. Cant you imagine us sitting out on a swing like that in the evening with soft breezes against your skin."

"Mmmm. I like the sound of that." Connor said. "Only with you sitting in my lap or even next to me…with your head against my chest. And my arms around you."

Kira grinned at him. "Well, that's one hurdle down, and many more to go."

Kayla made herself known. "I like that pretty white arch over there, in front of the door." Saying this, she got out of the car and went to stand beneath the archway. Examining the faux roses with interest. Connor rolled his eyes and then holding hands they made their way to the door and opened it slowly.

"Welcome, come on in!" said an older woman in her 50's. She had a kind face and warm brown eyes. She led them to a nice open sitting room with comfy couches and a high backed chair. In front of the couches was a claw footed coffee table with many current issues from several bridal magazines. In the corner was an old fashioned coke-a-cola fridge.

"My name is Lydia. May I offer you three some refreshment? We've got cold bottled water, coke, diet coke, sprite and root beer."

Kayla grinned, "Can I have a root beer?"

"If your parents are okay with it." Saying that she looked at Connor expectantly.

"Oh, she's not our daughter," Connor said. "Her parents are on a second honeymoon and we're watching her. She's a little sister to us…and she's just as excited about us getting married as we are." he added with a grin.

"Oh, I see. She's your helper. Well let me tell you what. We're definitely gonna need some help with all this planning." Saying this, she sat down in the high backed chair and crossed her legs at the ankles. "Is that a wish book?"

Kayla grinned as she brought it over to the assistant. "Yeah, Connor gave it to Kira for Christmas. We've been putting a lot of magazine cutouts in it."

"That's a great idea. May I see it?"

Kayla looked to Kira for a moment asking her permission. When Kira nodded she opened up the book and handed it to the lovely assistant who layed it out on her lap. Kayla stood next to her and pointed out the wedding dresses in the pictures. Telling her why they picked out the different styles.

As their assitant and the older lady conversed, there began to be a commotion from the next room.

"I would certainly hope that you wouldn't give into gossip so easily. I can assure you that I have no such dealings and wedding planning is my life….no, I have no interest in your fiancé…."

They were all quiet for a moment.

"…Then it's a damn shame that you feel that way…now if you'll excuse me I have other….no, Mrs. Jameson. You've already stated that you are taking your business elsewhere. My business doesn't revolve around you anymore. Good Day Madame!"

Then there was deafening quiet and then Lydia sighed softly. "If you'll exuse me, I better go check on Callista. That didn't sound very good."

"Was that a Bridezilla?" Kayla asked her softly.

"Yes, my dear, I'm afraid so. Please don't be put off by the yelling, Callista is a very professional woman and she's got one of the best reputations in the entire city."

Kira nodded. "We know, Alma sent us to you. We've come to trust her opinions."

Lydia gave them a kind smile. "Please, make yourselves at home. She'll just be a few minutes." Then the older lady walked out.

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><p>Lydia walked into the office and immediately saw her adoptive daughter slumped over her desk. With a compassionate smile she walked behind the desk and started a soft massage on her back.<p>

"Your clients are here."

"Leticia is killing me. If she keeps this up, we'll lose the rest of our clients. Isn't it enough that she stole my own fiancé and son away from me? Now she's spreading all that slandering venom all over town. That's the fifth client that we've lost. We'll be lucky to break even this month."

"Have a little faith, Dearie. She'll get her comeuppance soon enough. As we said in my time, What goes around comes around, and if we're lucky she'll get it smack dab in her derrière."

Callista smiled then. "Thanks Mom, you've always known what to say."

"Anything to make you smile my dear girl. Now, lets get you an nice new glass of sweet iced tea and then I'll send in the next clients. We've gotten a break, Alma sent them here herself, and you know as well as I do that if she's gone that far, that they're guaranteed to be good ones. And that little girl of theirs is a sweet heart. I have a good feeling about these guys. Something good will come of this appointment, just you wait."

After placing the new class of tea on the coaster in front of her, Lydia gave her daughter and 'boss' an encouraging smile and then left.

Callista took a deep breath and prepared herself for the next appointment. She was a lovely woman in her 30 with flawless skin the color of chestnuts. Her dark textured hair was twisted up in an elegant but efficient style.

Her clothes were just as impeccable. She wore her normal ensemble of a flowing brown skirt with a vanilla colored cashmere v neck top. She wore golden hoops and a simple delicate looking chain around her neck with a single aquamarine birthstone. (which happened to represent her son.) Her perfectly manicured nails tapped on the desk as she took another deep breath steadying herself.

She looked up as her next appointment walked in. _They certainly looked like nice people…_

"Good Morning, Mr. McKnight and Miss Kinderson?"

Connor nodded and shook her hand. Yes, and this is our special helper, Kayla. She brought along the wish book. It should help make this easier for all of us. He paused as Kayla pulled up a chair between them. Calista smiled at her.

"Thank you Kayla. It always helps to have an idea of what we're looking for. But first, we need to go over a few things. I am not one of those wedding planners that does it all herself. I encourage the bride and groom to get involved as well, By working together, we can all avoid those stressful situations. I'll be straight up with you guys and I'll expect the same thing from you. Now, are there any concerns you want to bring up?"

"Are you okay?" Kayla suddenly asked, looking really concerned.

The wedding planner smiled. "Yes, sweetheart. There's a rival wedding planner that's trying desperately to close me down. But don't you worry Kayla, I won't let her win. Now, down to business, why don't you show me that wish book of yours and we can get down to business. Shall we?

Kayla nodded and handed her the book. She spent a minute or so paging through the countless magazine clippings. When she'd paged through the album. She looked back up at them. These are very good choices. I can tell from just this meeting that you all have very good taste. With your cooperation and miss Kayla's help I see no reason why this whole process can't go as smoothly."

She pulled out a card from a sterling silver card holder. "This is my cell phone number and this office number." Saying this, she handed it to Connor and then offered another to Kira who handed it to Kayla to put in the front cover pocket.

"Now, I just need you to put down your information including your names and a good contact number, so that I can reach you. I don't like using fine print and I keep my contracts simple and finite. "Now, what kind of price range are we looking at?"

"The skies the limit. So I'd say no more then $1,000,000."

At her look of shock, he supplied. "Her father is well off and so am I. But he's a traditionalist, and so he's only allowing me to pay for the limo and honeymoon."

Ah I see. Well, as you might have guessed. I'm very short on clients. That's a good thing for you so then I can devote my business hours to arranging your wedding and reception. So, that also means that we can get started on the details right away. May I assume that you're going to Alma for the wedding attire?"

Connor nodded. "Yes, she's an amazing and very knowledgeable seamstress, there's no reason to go anywhere else."

"It does me good to hear such high praise for my dear frend. She's the one who helped mentor me in this business. Now, have the two of you set a wedding date? I'm gonna need a deadline so that I can plan our appointments accordingly."

"It's going to be on March !5th of this year. Will that be enough time?"

"It'll definitely be a challenge, but I have every bit of confidence that it can be pulled off. Now, in order to get this thing off the ground, we'll need to have at least 3 meetings a week. I need to know when you'll be available."

"We have an open schedule. We both work at our friends dojo here in Angel Grove with the younger kids. Other then that, we're free."

"That's excellent. I would strongly suggest that our first appointment be at Alma's. That way you can be fitted for your dress and it will give her time for any alterations. Now, if you wish, we can even visit her this afternoon. I still…"

Callista trailed off as there was an insistant knocking on the door. There was also a sound of a stuggle. It was enough to bring both former rangers into battle mode and they got up as the door flew open.

The wedding planner looked up sharply. "Leticia, you have a lot of nerve to show up here after all the trouble you've caused. Make it quick."

Leticia was an light brown skinned girl with an obnoxious air about her. Her haughty face swept over Connor appreciatively and then moved to Kira with an amused expression…then they settled on her rival.

"I've brought your son here. I've made such a killing that I can afford to take the week off and I'm taking Kenneth to the Bahamas. For the activities we'll be indulging in, we can't have the brat around."

"His name is Kai, not brat… and I'll thank you to not come barging in when I have clients in the room."

"Then they'll be thankful that I came. I doubt they'll want their wedding planned by a stripper with an illegitimate son….oh dear me, have I said too much?"

Connor had a flint like expression on his face and he stood up to face the intruder. "I think you should leave. My time is extremely valuable and I have no need for your venom especially in the presence of young ears. Now, if you don't mind, my bride and I need to finish out our appointment with Callista."

Leticia smiled cruelly at her rival. But Callista stood up and looked at her unflinchingly. "Leave. Now."

The Latino smiled at her darkly and then walked away.

When she was gone, Callista settle backed in her seat and took a deep breath before sipping her tea. She was quiet for several seconds and then she looked at them. "I promise, I'm not the slut she makes me out to be." She sighed again and began to explain herself.

I grew up in Hawaii the daughter of a two reefers. I had a rough upbringing and was eventually abandoned. For the majority of my child hood i existed by living off tourists. I moved here to california as soon as I was of age. But people in this town aren't as generous... I was a stripper for all of a week before Lydia and her husband found me. They took me in and rehabilitated me. My son was conceived with Kenneth when i was around 18. We were supposed to be married when I found out I was pregnant. Letita was our wedding planner and she managed to weedle herself between us and after I found out that he'd been cheating on me, I gave him an ultimatum…and he chose her. The wedding was called off and I was left to give birth alone and then when my son was born, she demanded my baby daddy to get full custody on him. I didn't have the money to hire a lawyer and they walked all over me. But I do hope that all that won't deter you from trusting me with your wedding."

"No, of course not." Kira said. "We trust Alma's judgment and if she trusts you, then we do to. She's never steered us wrong. Now, when do you want to meet up at the dress shop?"

Callista smiled at them, relieved. "I think around 3 this afternoon. I need to spend some time with my son and get him settled in. Then Lydia can watch him till we're done."

Connor was quiet as Kira conversed with their wedding planner.

"Connor?"

The former ranger looked up. "You know, we have a good lawyer that can help you. He's a friend of ours."

"Thanks for the offer but I just don't have the money to pay for a lawyer. And I'm not in need of charity either. My son and I will be just fine on our own. But what I was asking was weather or not you have any questions before we close out this appointment?"

Connor shook his head. "No, thank you, we'll see you at three o' clock this afternoon."

They all stood up then and Callista shook their hands. Lydia was there to escourt them out.

When they were gone, a young boy ran into her office and jumped into her lap. He was just around 6 and he was beyond thrilled to see her. "Mommy, I missed you!"

Callista grinned. "I missed you too Kai, how about we go to lunch, just you and me and Lydia."

"McDonalds? Can we go to the one with the big playground?"

Callista smiled down at him with an indulgent grin. "That sounds like an awesome idea. How about you run to your room and get some play clothes on, okay?"

The boy was gone in a flash and the wedding planner sighed.

_It was going to be a long, long, long day. _

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><p>Connor was quiet for a few minutes as they pulled out onto the main road.<p>

"So, should I make the call or do you want me to leave it to you?"

"We're gonna help her?" Kayla asked.

Connor sighed. "Once a hero always a hero. Now you get to help me choose a place to eat."

"Ernie's!"

Sounds like a great place. Now, Kira. We need to get a hold of your dad's friend."

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><p><strong>So, what do you all think of this chapter? How did you like Callista, Lydia and Kai? <strong>

**Just for fun, I would like to see if any of you have any funny wedding stories or blunders to share...I may just include them somehow in this fic.**

**Please be kind and review! (any flames will be visiously turned on the sender with venomous sarcasm!)**

**Oh and one last thing: for Mother's Day, I posted a one shot based in the Back To Action series. I'd appreciate it if you all could show it some love. (if you haven't already done so) It's called Scrap Book of Memories.**

**See you next chapter!**


	3. Honor At Stake

**Hey everyone. Once again i must apoligize for the long lull between chatpers. RL interefered and i spent an enitre weeks sick in bed...and then i hit writers block. but now i'm back. I hope all of you are still enjoying this fic. **

**This chapter is a little bit of a detour, I really do love writing about the young teens in this series. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Angel Grove Middle School<strong>

Kyle and Autumn walked down the hall. Having just came in from lunch, they were both content and full. Their entwined fingers swung between them…and then stopped.

Right in front of them was their worst nightmare.

A flier

Autumn whimpered softly and covered her mouth. Kyle saw red.

It was a picture of them caught during one of their stolen moments…they had only kissed for a moment. Apparently they had a stalker. Under the picture of them were their names and in big letters was:

**Horny Bumpkins: Inbreeding isn't dead!**

Kyle growled loudly and ripped the flier off the wall. He was about to rip it to shreds…but then he thought better of it_. I may need the evidence later._ Then he folded his girlfriend in his arms. "It's okay C_orozon_. We'll get to the bottom of this."

"It looks like you already have….many times." said Leif as he walked up to them looking at the flier.

Kyle narrowed his eyes at them. "Please tell me you didn't fall for that shit. We're not even the same race."

The goth shrugged. "Of course not. But from the look of these fliers…this semester just went to Hell."

"Nina's behind this." Kyle said darkly. "I know she is."

"That's stating the obvious." said Sapphire coming out of the girl's bathroom. "It shouldn't come as any surprise. Not after you faced her down at the school dance.

"But you were there too." Autumn stammered. "How come she's not-"

"Because I'm goth and she already came after me." Sapphire answered as Lief wrapped his arms around her. When she saw that I wouldn't back down she passed me off as a satanic witch and walked away."

"I wasn't so lucky." Lief said as he pulled back the long sleeves of his shirt, revealing many ugly scars. "I was already depressed when my adopted mom brought me here. But I crossed Nina one time and that was it for me. The football team got a hold of me not long after. They cornered me in the locker room and all but raped me. These cuts on my arm, aren't all self inflicted. They cut me several times and left me bleeding. Professor Cranston found me and insisted on taking me to the ER.

"I ended up staying overnight for observation. I was so devastated that I refused to speak to anyone other then your uncle. I was in bad shape and I even attempted suicide…I would have died if not for Sapphire. She saved my life." Saying this he grinned and pecked his girlfriend's lips.

He looked up at them again. "Nina's a bitch…and she can get to anyone. Even the Power Rangers, if she could find them."

"Not even." Kyle said. "From what I gather, her ring of influence is only within this school. The rangers aren't even from around here. There's no way she could get to them."

"Why would I want to go after them? Their just a bunch of horny freaks in spandex." Nina said with a sneer. "You make much easier targets." Kyle felt rather then heard Autumn's growl and held her tighter.

"Get out of here Nina. You've done enough damage." Sapphire said as she walked in front of her friends. "You're still holding a grudge, huh? Autumn showed you up…and you can't handle your ass being handed to you. Isn't that right?"

Nina's lip curled and she slapped Sapphire across the face. "You forget your place, goth. Why not go back to the gutter where rats like you belong." Sapphire growled in her throat and lunged at Nina, who shrank back against the lockers.

She would have been severely injured had Lief not grabbed her from behind and forcibly pulled her backwards. "She's not worth it. You're much better then her."

Nina snorted. "Not likely. I've got this whole school at my feet and the football team eats out of my hand."

Autumn glowered at her. "The only reason they eat out of your hand is because they got tired of eating out of the mess between your legs! I've still got my virtue and I don't offer it to anyone.. not even to Kyle."

Nina held up the flier. "A picture's worth a thousand words, you slut. Before the day is out, everyone will know about it. Good luck crawling out of this mess." Then she turned on her the spot and sashayed away.

With her gone, Autumn buried her head in Kyle's shoulder. "I can't bear to be here anymore. I want to go home."

"We're ninja's corazon. Do you really want to let Nina win?"

Autumn looked up at Kyle and his heart broke seeing her worn-out look and feeling her body tremble with anger. "I can't do this, if I see Nina again, I'm gonna kill her, please, I just want to go home."

That gave Kyle an idea. He led them outside to the shade of a nearby tree. Then he pulled out his phone. He knew just who to call.

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><p>Connor sat across from Kira and Kayla at their table at Earnies. They had just given their orders and now sat back enjoying their sodas..that is until his phone rang.<p>

Seeing it was Kyle's number, his brow furrowed. "What's he doing calling during school?"

He flipped the phone open. "What's up Kyle?"

"We need to get out of school. Something bad's happened and we need to retreat. Can you help me or not?"

"Why didn't you call your dad first?"

"I don't know how he'll react. It's a bully thing."

That lit a fire in Connor. Okay. I'll be right there. Where are you exactly?"

"We're outside the school."

"Okay, just hang tight."

"Thanks Connor. I owe you one."

"I'll be expecting you to tell me everything once we get you out of there."

"I will, I wouldn't be playing hookie if it wasn't necessary."

"Ok, I'll be there asap."

When he hung up, Connor looked at his sister and fiance. "Something's come up at the school. It's bully's again. Kyle would never play hookie if it wasn't' important. We're gonna have to take this food to go."

Kira nodded with a dark look in her eyes…no doubt remembering her own run in with bullies. Without another look she went towards the counter.

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><p>They found the pair sitting under a tree. The goths had decided to go back to class and keep an eye on things. Without a single word being spoken, the two teens climbed into the car and Connor brought them to the park where many a battle had been fought.<p>

Connor shut the engine off and then turned in his seat. "Come on, lets go somewhere private." It didn't' take them long to find a perfect spot. (ironically it was the same tree where Aisha, Rocky and Adam had been imprisoned many years earlier) When they all sat down, Connor gave the young teens an expectant look. You're parent's aren't gonna be happy about you being AWOL. Or that I'm helped you escape. You'd better have a good reason."

Kyle said nothing but instead pulled out the flier and handed it to Connor.

He watched the guy who'd become like a big brother's eyes widen in shock. His mouth dropped open and then shut. Kira leaned in and looked at the flier too. Her eyes darkened even more.

"This is a good reason."

"By the end of the day, I'll be shamed even more. If Kyle hadn't been holding me, I would have killed her. I had to get out of there. Now my honor is in question and my reputation is destroyed. I don't see how I can ever show up to school again. I can win every fight I get into, but I'm useless when it comes to stuff like this."

"Connor, what are we going to do?" Kyle asked in desperation.

"This is more then anything we dealt with at Reefside." Kira said. "There it was more like betrayal and his word against mine. But this is slander…no, its more retaliation against you for what happened at the dance. This Nina bitch, it seems can't handle competition."

"This is bigger then anything we can handle." Connor said finally speaking. "We're gonna have to tell your parents. We owe them a lot, not to mention the fact that we share the same heritage. We're all family, and we _will_ deal with this."

Just then, Kyle's phone vibrated. He looked at the caller ID in horror. "It's dad."

Connor nodded. "Answer it. You shouldn't keep your dad waiting."

Kyle took a deep breath and then pushed the green button. "Hi dad."

_"**You're supposed to be in school, where are you?"**_

"Autumn and I are with Connor and Kira. Some bad stuff happened to us today. We needed an escape."

His dad's voice suddenly filled with concern. _**"Are you guys okay? Did something happen to Autumn?"**_

"The bullies. They spread some fliers around school about Autumn. It called us horny inbreeders. They've got pictures of us too."

Is dad's voice was clipped. "Give Connor the phone…now."

Kyle nodded even though his dad couldn't see him and handed the phone over.

Connor took a deep breath and then put the phone to his ear.

"Hey Rocky."

_**"How are the kids, Connor. My son's an excellent student. Are they really okay?"**_

Connor looked at the kids. "Autumn looks upset and Kyle's being brave. But I've seen the flier, it's bad enough to justify me in helping them escape. This goes beyond simple bullying…this is slander. Kira, Kayla and I picked them and we're at the park. I thought It might be something I could handle on the down-low, but this is enough to even sue over."

Rocky's tone shifted to one of relief. _**"I'll give Adam and Tanya a call. Can you bring them home?"**_

Connor checked his watch, they still had a couple of hours till their meeting with the wedding planner. "Yeah, we'll be right there."

"Thank you for taking care of our kids."

_**"No debts between family. We'll be there as soon as possible."**_

Then he ended the call and handed the phone back to Kyle. "Lets get back to the condo."

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><p>Connor thought he new what a pissed off yellow ranger looked like….and then he found out how wrong he was. Tanya growled loudly and her nostrils flared…and the former red ranger backed up a few feet. Tanya had become a lioness with a hurt cub.<p>

Kyle looked nervous. "I promise Aunt Tanya. I've only stolen a few kisses. I wouldn't ever break your trust by going further then that." His pleading eyes fell on Adam. She's my corozon, I would never dishonor her like this!"

Rocky raised his eyebrow. To claim a girl as his corozon was a big declaration. An endearment like that was never used lightly. He'd told his son that before. So that must have meant that he was serious about her.

Adam locked his eyes with Kyle. "My daughter is precious to me. You'll swear on your honor that you've never gone beyond a few stolen kisses?"

Kyle sank to his knees and looked at the floor. "I swear it on every shred of honor I possess. I've only stolen a few kisses and nothing more. I love her and I respect you too much to go all the way with her."

Adam nodded. "I trust you, but from now on, you won't go anywhere with my daughter without a chaperone."

Kyle rose to his feet and then bowed with respect to Adam. "I will respect your wishes."

Adam then looked at Rocky who nodded in acceptance. Then he looked at Autumn, "Did anything else happen that we should know about?"

"Leif and Sapphire are in this mess too. When Saph came to our defense, Nina slapped her. Leif showed us his arms. They were carved up pretty good. He told us that Uncle Billy came to his rescue. And that he was all but raped by the guys in the locker room. He told us it happened after he crossed Nina."

"It also looks like this is a retaliation for showing her up at the Christmas Dance." Connor said. "That girl can't handle competition. This is her way of getting revenge. We had to intervene several times at the dance. Nina was doing everything she could to upset Autumn. It looks like she found a chink in the armor and she's exploiting it for all it's worth."

Tanya finally spoke up again. "This will be straightened up right away. I'm going to the school with this."

"Hold on sweetheart." Adam said taking his wife's hand. "We should think this through. You haven't thought of the implications of this. We can sue the hell out of the parents and school for this. But she's still got 4 and a half years of school left. This incident could follow them until graduation."

Tanya gritted her teeth. "My baby's been slandered by this skank. I won't allow her to be get away with it. I want blood. Either back me up on this or get out of my way."

"I'm with you Tanya." Adam said attempting to soothe his wife. "But we can't just charge in there and demand restitution. I've got your back and front no matter what, but I think we should just wait till both of us are calm and our heads are cleared. Then we'll kick ass and take names. Okay sweetheart?"

Tanya bit her lip and her body was very rigid. Adam put his arms around his wife and gave Rocky a look before leading his lover out of the room and up the stairs.

Rocky then looked at his son. "You got it recorded?"

Kyle took off his pendant and handed it to his dad. "Every bit of it. Uncle Billy's micro-cams are freaking awesome!"

"You've done good Kyle. I'm proud of you, both of you. I'll call the school and smooth things over." Then the former red ranger turned to Connor. "I know you have more errands to run for the day. The kids could use the time to clear their heads. Would you mind chaperoning them?"

"Not a problem." He turned to the younger teens. Why not go get out of your school clothes. "We'll be waiting for you in the car." Kayla took his hand then as Kira put an arm around his waist. "Connor, would you mind if we take separate cars? I think Autumn could use some girl time before we get to the mall. I'll take Kayla with me too, besides, the groom is not supposed to see the dress till the wedding."

Connor kissed her lips softly. "You think of everything princess."

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><p><strong>How would you handle this situation? let me know in your reviews!<strong>

**Up next: some girl and guy talk. And the girls go to the appointment at Almas. **


	4. Girl Talk

**Hey everyone! Its hard to believe it's been so long since I updated this litte fic. I can only say that the last few months have been a blur to me and hopefully, I won't have such a hard time updating from now on. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

**Read on!**

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><p>Kira pulled up in the Silver Camero in front of the small mansion; there, Autumn and Kayla were waiting for her. As they got in, Kayla immediately put the dream book on the seat next to her and the circlet that Kira had gotten for Christmas.<p>

"Oh, Kayla, I can't believe I forgot that!" kira excaimed as she remembered where they were going. "We can't find the perfect dress without the headpiece!"

Kayla smiled at her. "It's okay, Kira. You're being a hero-en. I'm an 'sissatant." Saying that she put on the earphones that went to her MP3 player and turned the music up.

Kira laughed softly and once Autumn was buckled in, they pulled out of the very long driveway and headed for the mall.

10 minutes later, Autumn still hadn't spoken a word. So Kira spoke up instead.

"Keeping it all bottled up never helped anyone."

"I'm screwed and so is my reputation. I can't even get revenge on that skank. I doubt talking will help either."

Kira sighed. "No, you're right. But it will help you feel better. Believe me, you're in good company."

Autumn looked up sharply. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm guessing you were so horrified about your situation that you didn't hear Connor make a reference to it earlier."

"I'm ruined Kira. That's been the only thing on my mind."

"It's never as bad as you think at first. Just after we defeated Mesogog, I began seeing this guy, Scott. He was super hawt and he was a rocker…both things I loved…well I thought I loved. Connor and Ethan saw the danger of me dating him and tried everything to prevent it. But I didn't listen to them. What would boys know of such things anyway?"

"A lot? I'm guessing." Autumn supplied.

"Yeah, who better to know a absolute jerk from a good guy then another guy?" Kira sighed then. "But I went out with him anyway. He was being really nice to me and like an idiot I let down my guard. Not long after that, he talked me into having sex with him. That was the biggest mistake of my life."

"What happened?"

"I don't know if you've had 'the talk' yet, but you can only lose your virginity once….and its supposed to be one of the most memorable times of your life….but I' forgot that part. There's no excuse for what I did, and I paid for it big time. It wasn't a beautiful experience at all. He really left me in pain. It didn't stop there either…" Kira paused and sighed. "The next morning, the entire school knew about it. He painted me like a cheap common whore and I wanted to die when I found out that I'd been exposed."

Autumn was sucked into the story.

"I planned to leave town that day and never come back, but Connor got in the way."

"What did he do?"

He confronted me and when I tried to get away from him….he kissed me."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah….and then I took my anger and hurt out on him…by beating him up. And he let me do it."

"That's love isn't it."

Kira chuckled. "Yeah and even after that he still loved me."

"What did you do about Scott?"

Kira chuckled evilly. "He got exactly what he deserved."

Autumn looked at her questioningly.

"She kicked him 'tween the legs. It must have really hurt. I saw Daddy flinch when he told Mommy 'bout it." Kayla said as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

They'd arrived at the mall.

Both girls looked at Kayla in surprise. But the little ninja was all business. She simply held the tiara close to her as she got up and waited for the door to be opened for her.

As they got out of the car they saw two familiar people waiting for them.

Connor and Kyle approached them and as they drew nearer, Kyle winced when he saw his girlfriends eyes were red and puffy. Without thinking, he ran up to her and hugged her to him. She recoiled for a second before letting his soft loving words cancel out her pain.

Kira and Connor were watching them with interest. Kyle was learning for the first time what it meant to hurt for the one you love…and how to assuage pain in the only way a boyfriend could. Connor sighed with relief when he saw the younger girl lean into his protégé. No heated attacks on Kyle.

It seemed, that the talk had the desired effect. Over time he'd learned the right way to look after Kira…and had relayed the knowledge to Kyle. Possibliy saving the young kid from personal injury.

But then again, he'd not been in a relationship with Kira when he chose to champion her…

"Connor?"

The former red ranger looked down at the small girl between them. "We need to get to the bridal shop."

The little girl was all business as she took kira's hand and led her to the mall entrance.

When they were gone, Kyle and Autumn pulled apart. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be letting that…cheapo get the better of me." She paused to wipe the tear from her cheek. "The last thing I should be doing is let her get to me. I can't show anyweekness…I have to be strong. I can't…"

"Shhhh…. It's not just you she attacked, don't forget that the picture featured me too. I'm just as much in the hot seat as you are. We just got a free pass from school. How about we enjoy this day as much as we can, then tomorrow, we'll figure out a way to take that Screw Hole down.

Autumn couldn't help but smile. "Screwhole?"

Kyle grinned. "Can you think of a better name for what she is?

"Quarter ho?"

"Gutter freak?"

"Fake Skank?"

"Poster Child for Hoes-are-us?"

Kyle laughed. "That's a good one. So, what do you say we head towards the bridal shop. Your dad didn't want us to be left alone. I just swore an oath on my honor that we would stick with Connor and Kira."

When they arrived at the bridal shop, Connor was waiting for them. Glad to see that you've arrived." Then he looked at Autumn. "Kira's waiting for you in the back. House rules state that the groom's men aren't allowed in the back. So we're off to the tux shop."

Saying this he looked expectantly at his 'younger brother' who gave him a sheepish look before following him out the door.

Kayla was there when she turned back. The young girl was still all businiess. She unceremoniously grabbed her hand and half dragged her to the back of the shop where the dressing room was.

When they entered the curtained off area, they sat down and watched the seamstress at work.

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><p><strong>Meanwhile<strong>

Connor stood in front of the mirror as he modeled a tuxedo with a red vest and tie.

Behind him, in another mirror, Kyle was trying on a suit of his own, in much the same style and color. He was turning this way and that. This was the first time he had ever worn something so fancy. Right now, he was having trouble knotting the tie.

"Why not let me help you out."

"I know how to tie this, my mind's just not on it."

"If I were in your shoes I'd feel the same way. Its no wonder you can't concentrate." The former leader said as he knelt down to help his 'brother' out. "Don't forget that were in this together, a band of brothers. And this bully just got herself into a whole world of trouble. I was in the same boat as you a few months ago."

"But you weren't slandered and your face pasted all over school. And when we go back, we'll the laughing stock. Personally I don't care what anyone thinks of me, but Autumn's the one who'll suffer for it and it kills me to see her as upset as she was today."

Connor pulled the tie through the final hole and adjusted it.

"You love her, and when she hurts, you hurt. It's completely normal."

"Bullying sucks and it screws up every one." Kyle said in a frustrated tone. "We were doing just fine and then that bitch goes and sticks her cheap plastic Barbie face into our business and starts trouble up again."

Connor said nothng and let Klye vent everything.

"And what sucks the most is I can't do anything to stop it. Real men don't hit girls. I can't do a thing to her."

That gave Connor pause as a light bulb went off in his head.

"No you can't. Not physicly anyway but you can drive her insane. That little girl thrives on attention. She's obviously not getting the attention she needs at home so she looks for it at school. But Autumn was also popular."

"Because she's beautiful and can kick butt ." Kyle interrupted.

"Yes, and that's what set Nina off. I don't need to say it again. So she did everything she could to destroy Autumn. It didn't work like she hoped. So she hit her where it hurt the most."

Kyle nodded.

"And it worked. There's no way we saw this coming."

Connor smiled hearing the word 'we.'

"No you didn't. This was a low blow. I never would have seen it coming either. But weather she succeeds or not is up to you two."

Kyle nodded solemnly. "We go back and act like nothing happened."

"Exactly, pretend like nothing happened at all. You let us deal with the bully. She'll wish she'd had left the camera at home."

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><p><strong>So, I know this was kind of short, but I'm just warming up. Let me know your thoughts on this! Please leave non-flamitory reviews!<strong>


	5. The Fitting

**I'm back! I hope everone had a good holiday season. I would like to apoligize in advance for any glaring typos and errors I didn't correct. I've bought a 'new to me' computer tower and it's lacking a good word processor (and spell-check.)Other then that, please enjoy this update!**

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><p><strong>1 hour later<strong>

Kira stood on the elevated pedestal and twirled. Her dress was so fantastical! She felt divine, womanly and delicate...this was so new to her. she'd prided herself on being fierce and tough...and then she fell in love.

For the past hour, she'd tried on several dresses...all of them were very whimsical and well fitting. At first she'd tried simple dresses of chiffon with spaghetti straps, to laces with ruching and had even tried dresses made of white taffeta. But the one she tried on now was just magical...and the way the gown flowed off her shoulders and hips made her feel absolutely gorgeous! This was the one...for sure!

Now, as Alma tucked and pinned and rambled to herself, Kira stared at her reflection as well as the others who were gazing at her. Kayla grinned openly at her, and off to the side a bit, Callista observed the goings on with a wistful look...it remind Kira of what she'd heard earlier.

"Well now, lets just get the veil shall we?" Alma said as she slowly stood up and bringing everyone out of their revelry. Hearing this, Kayla stood up. "We have a tiara to go with the veil. Conner gave it to her for Christmas!"

Alma acknowledged her with a smile. "Well thank you Kayla, for reminding me! Lets have a look at this beauty!" Reverently taking it from the little assistant's hands she held it up to the light where it shimmered as if created by real magic. "This is is quite exquisite! And I think I have just the veil to go with it." She grinned at Kayla again, "How about you come with me and help me pick it out."

Kayla didn't hesitate and she followed the aged seamstress to the show room. When she was gone Kira turned to Autumn who had remained quiet all this time. She sat on the loveseat drinking from a chilled bottle of water and munching a finger sandwich. Kira carefully stepped down and sat carefully next to her other sister.

"I had hoped as my bridesmaid you would be more vocal. You really shouldn't let that girl ruin everything...this was supposed to be a distraction for you. You've been way too quiet."

Autumn grimaced a moment and then looked up at Kira. "I'm beginning to think it was a bad idea to leave school. I feel like a coward for running away from it. I should have confronted her head on. It's what a warrior would have done."

Kira but and arm around her shoulders.

"You couldn't have seen this coming. It came out of nowhere and very sudden. This caught you by surprise...so, you're not running away. You needed a day to process what happened. I don't consider it cowardice at all. But tomorrow I expect you to return to school with your head high."

Autumn nodded and gave Kira a brave smile. Kira hugged her close and then got up as Alma entered the room. Kayla followed behind her holding a very whimsical looking veil. Kira smiled at her and stood still as Alma placed it on her head. It was chapel length and had little loops on it for the crown to slide through. Alma had already done so and it was now one piece that fit her perfectly.

Kira looked at her reflection again.

"You look like a princess!" Kayla said in a voice of awe.

Her older sister beamed at her. "Princess is a bit much don't you think?"

Kayla shook her head as if she'd said something really silly. "But Conner kissed you when you fainted...and he had to fight a monster off for you so you could live happily ever after. That makes you a princess!"

Kira had no retort for that. "I stand corrected."

Kayla grinned at her knowing she'd won the argument. So now she settled back on the loveseat as Alma made some final adjustments.

"From the mouth of babes." Lief murmured making himself known. He was dressed impeccably in a pair of nice black slacks and a white dress shirt without a single wrinkle on it. His hair was combed out of his eyes and he wore a pair of shiny black shoes that tied to the whole look together. This was a drastic change from his school clothes.

Autumn got up quickly. "What's going on at the school. How bad is it?"

Lief gave her a compassionate look. "Do you want me to lie to you?"

Kira didn't turn around. 'We're already expecting the worst. You can tell us the truth."

"The gossip mill is firing on all ten cylinders. And each time Nina mentions it, it gets even juicer. When we left the school, you were locked in a passionate embrace doing it up against a tree. And she's saying you got pregnant the night of the dance...and you're carrying triplets. The reason you left is because you were being disowned by your parents for dishonoring your family's name so you and Kyle are going to run away together...to some rice farm in Asia."

Everyone was quiet for a moment...and then Autumn busted out laughing.

"A...rice farm...in Asia?"

Lief ginned. "She's already got a noose round her neck with that wild story. In time everyone will see her for the liar she is. By the end of the school year when you're still sporting a petite waistline, everyone will know what a liar she is. If we all stick together, and have each others backs then I see no reason why we can't come out of this year mostly unscathed."

Autumn shook her head. "No; not mostly unscathed. I'm not going to cower in the corner...I'm gonna find a way to defeat her in her own territory. She's dragging my honor through the dirt. If we're gonna make it through our high school years, then I need to get my dignity back and regain my honor.

Kira looked at her 'sister' hard. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

The prompt snapped Autumn out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry Kira. I didn't mean to mess up the meeting. Its just something to think on later."

Alma didn't let it slide. "Be careful dearie, that you don't become just like her in the process. To thine own self be true..and it must follow as night the day, you can't then prove false to any man...or woman."

Autumn smiled at Kira. "Then its a good thing I have my sisters and friends to keep me grounded."

All was quiet then...for the moment. Then Callista spoke again. "I feel like I just walked into Valhalla."

Kira grinned. "We're a tightly knit group...and we all pitch in especially when it comes to mentoring and taking care of each others kids. All of us are like that and we don't back down from any fight if we can help it."

Callista allowed herself a smile. They'd be powerful friends to have around...they'd offered her help hadn't they? They were warriors...there was no challenging that...but could they defeat the monster that threatened her livelihood?"

"Well I think this settles it, doesn't it dear? Is this your dress, Kira honey?"

Kira looked in the mirror and turned very slowly, looking at her reflection from every angle. "Its beautiful...I love it! This is the one!"

Kayla grinned and hugged Kira around the waist. "I knew it!"

Callista made another notation in her notebook. Her thoughts were in a whirlwind. Once long ago she stood on this same pedistal, dreaming of her wedding and the happy ending that should have come...but it didn't. The groom she should have walked down the isle to was long gone.

Right now, she should be coming home to her song and loving husband...but that was all gone now. Shed lost it all in less then a year. And now she was just a mere wedding planner striving to make ends meet and wishing that she could throw Leticia and her ass hole ex-boyfriend out of her life an get on with raising her son.

But she didn't dare act out her frustration. She was utterly at that home-wreckers mercy. And there was nothing she could do about it.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Kayla who was looking at her. "You need a prince."

She smiled at the little girl. If only it was that simple, dear. As it is I'm afraid I just don't have time to look for one. I've got to plan your sisters wedding and be a mommy. If I were to stop doing what I do, I'd be homeless. And then I'd lose my son for good...and that would really hurt me a lot."

Kayla seemed all the more thoughtful. And she was quiet for a long time.

As the meeting winded down, Kayla gave her a hug. "I'll look for a prince for you! I'm sure there's lots out there that would help you. I'm sure of it."

Had Callista any idea of what this little assistant was capable of, she would never had uttered those fateful last words:

"Well sweetie, if you can find one out there then I'll go out with him."

Autumn smiled softly. _Oh lady, if only you knew!_

Kira chuckled as she stepped down from the pedestal and followed Alma to the changing room again.

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><p>Just as the meeting drew to a close, and Callista was zipping up her satchel, Autumn's cell phone went off. She looked at the caller idea and her brow furroed.<p>

"Uncle Zack?"

"Its me girlie." The voice sounded a lot nearer to her. "I just came by to check on you, I heard you had a rough day today."

"Why are you calling me on my phone if you're in the shop?"

Because, its not a good idea to just walk into a dressing room. That's why i'm waiting out in the main lobby."

At hearing that, Kayla jumped up and ran to the front of the store before jumping into her uncle's arms and giving him a hug. "Uncle Zack! I missed you!"

Zack hugged her close. "Are you keeping an eye on things for me ninja-girl?"

Kayla nodded and then her eyes brightened. "You've got to meet Callista! She's the wedding planner!"

Zack gave her an indulgent look. "Oh yeah, and did you help Kira choose her dress?"

Kayla nodded grinning. "I'm 'sissting her too! Alma let me help choose a veil for Kira too. She looks like a princess!"

Zack was about to reply when he caught a look at the beautiful wedding planner. His eyes widened and Callista averted her gaze. She felt like she was in high school again.

Zack put down the overly eager child and walked up to the pretty woman with the briefcase.

"Hi, I'm Zack."

Callista bit her lip. "I'm Callista. Pleased to meet you." Saying this she stuck out her hand.

Zack had gathered his wits about him. Instead of shaking her hand he kissed her knuckles.

"The pleasure's all mine."

And Callista blushed.

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><p><strong>Later that night<strong>

Autumn sat on the couch in the main area of the kids floor. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around her knees. She sighed and rested her chin on her knees.

There had to be someway to defeat that slinky skank and crush her. She couldn't be brought down any lower. The next day would be torture, she was sure of it. _If only she could get away with playing hookie like she did today. She'd love to never have to go to school again. _

"Autumn?"

The young teenager looked up. "Hey Kyle. Finally get done with all that man stuff?"

Klye sat down next to her and folded his legs under him. "If you mean all that tedious tux shopping. Yeah. But, what about you. Please don't downplay anything. Tell me how you really are. You don't have to be a tough warrior when you're with me."

Autumn sighed. "Does it matter? My reputation and honor are destroyed, how do you think I am?"

"About the same as me. Don't forget that I was in the picture too."

Autumn scoffed. "I can't imagine that you would suffer much. you'll probably be welcomed as a hero. You've finally scored." Saying this she put the last word in air quotation marks.

"That means nothing to me. In my family, the title corazón is never used lightly. Ever! When I called you 'My heart', I meant it with everything in me. You suffer, I suffer. You bear humiliation, then I do to. You won't be alone in this. Not for a minute." Kyle paused a moment in his impassioned speech to look her directly in her eye.

"But you've got to be straight with me."

It was as if he could sense her troubled mind. But there was no reason to mistrust him.

"I want revenge. My...our honor is being dragged through the mud...and I intend to take her down a few notches."

"Revenge isn't like you, Autumn."

His girlfriend sighed. "I'm done holding back Kyle. I've lost my honor, and I can't live a balanced life if I don't regain it somehow."

"And getting revenge on Nina is how you're going to reclaim it?"

Autumn nodded.

Kyle took a deep breath before pulling his girlfriend into his lap. "Mi Corazón. You never lost your honor. You have nothing to reclaim."

"You don't get it Kyle, when we walk through those double doors tomorrow, we'll be shunned, we're a laughing stock. The teasing we'll go through..."

"We'll go through it together. You and me...and don't forget that we have Lief and Saph on our side too. They've got our back and so does Conner and Kira."

"In the eyes of the everyone, I'm a slut. I need to prove to everyone that I'm not or I can't go on. I want to be pretty, Kyle. I'll do anything to prove myself."

Kyle shushed her with a chaste kiss. "You're were never just pretty. You're heart stoppingly gorgeous." He grinned at her and whispered. " Did my heart love till now? Foreswear it sight, for I never saw true beauty till this night!"

Autumn chuckled as she snuggled into his neck. "That was a bit over the top."

Kyle snickered. "I've always wanted to use that line. But you're the only one who's ever really deserved to hear it."

Autumn grinned and kissed his lips again. They spent all night snuggling together.

The next day would be hell... but for now they slept in peace.

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><p><strong>Non-flamitory reviews spur me on to the next chapter! Please give the review button some love 'kay?<strong>


	6. Going To Bat

**So here we go, the next chapter for all you lovely people. **

**The plot thickens...**

**!WARNING! A slightly steamy Conner/Kira bit is at the end. There is also some racist talk included in this chapter. You should be expecting that by now. !WARNING!**

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><p><strong>The next morning<strong>

Kyle was waiting for Autumn when she walked out of her room. She was dressed normally with barely a hair out of place, and her make up was perfect, but he was getting unsettling vibes from her.

She smiled at him and shouldered her back pack. But the grin didn't reach her eyes. He stepped closer to her and took her bag from her and put it gently on the floor. He took her hands in his. No matter what, Autumn, we're in this together. I don't' know how well I can shield you from this, but please don't do anything that will get you detention...or I'll have no choice but to get myself one too...and then we'll both have to bear the consequences.

Autumn bit her lip and then nodded. "I'll do my best, but if she comes at me, I will defend myself."

Kyle looked at her. "Our parents are going to bat for us today. If you have to defend yourself, then do it, but if you beat her up, we'll look even worse in the schools eyes. We could end up expelled and if we are, then Nina wins."

Autumn nodded and sighed. Kyle saw her acceptance and pulled her into a hug. "We'll get through this. I promise."

Downstairs, a similar talk was going on. Both sets of parents were sitting around the kitchen island drinking coffee and tea.

"We're not battling Putties or Cogs this time." Adam was saying. "The only way to beat this is a show of solidarity."

Rocky nodded. "We'll nip this in the bud and if we get really lucky, then this will be stopped before it gets any worse."

"And if it doesn't?" Aisha asked. "What if this doesn't stop? Just because this is stopped at school doesn't mean that it can't become a battle out of school. I've seen this all over the news. This could destroy Autumn and Kyle will be right there with her. My son won't let her go through this alone, I don't know how, but my gut tells me that something bad could happen to him. I just know it."

Rocky looked at her. "I know better to doubt you 'Ish. Our ranger senses are still there. The best we can do is show a unified front and then we keep eagle eyes on the kids. If anything changes for the worse, we'll know it."

Tanya nodded. "An we have three different geniuses on speed dial and access to all the help we need. The only problem that I see is Nina's parents. We don't know them very well...they could start a lot of trouble for us. What then?"

"Like you said, Tanya. We have more then enough backup." Adam said. "We go full throttle into this and if things happen then we deal with them as they come."

"And you have us." Connor said as he and Kira entered the kitchen. We'll be back up...if something bad happens to them, they'll most likely call us first."

Rocky turned to him. "You swear that if things get really bad you'll call us as soon as he calls you?"

"You have my word." Conner solemnly answered.

Tanya turned to him. "I'm holding you to it."

Conner nodded "I'd never lie to a yellow." He grinned at Kira. "I value my life too much."

Kira kissed his cheek and led him to the door. We take my car today. It's been sitting too long in the garage."

Connor grinned. "A girl after my own heart."

Kira picked up her keys and turned to him. I'm not after you heart. I own it already."

Connor chuckled as he opened the door for her.

Within minutes everyone was piled into their respective cars and they made their way to the school.

* * *

><p><strong>Angel Grove Highschool<strong>

**Principal Haverty's Office**

The school secretary looked up as the group walked in. She was a older woman in her mid 50's with burgundy hair that was currently pulled up into a bun. She looked up at them as if she'd been expecting them.

"Is Miss Haverty in? We need to have a word with her."

"I expected to see you today...especially after-"

"Mercedes- show them in." Said a stern voice. The secretary only nodded and showed them the door.

"Tanya was the first through the door. She walked in and sat down directly infront of the the principal and calmly folded her hands in her lap. Adam sat down next to her and took a moment to compose himself. Rocky and Aisha were given chairs to sit in and then the door to the office closed.

The principal looked to be in her early 40's with straight blonde hair twisted elegantly in a clip. She had a stern yet proper visage and she was dressed in plain navy blue feminine suit.

"I can't say I was surprised to get your phone call last night. This school has a strict policy against truancy. It will not be tolerated again."

Tanya nodded. "I agree. But I would also like to bring up the fact that flyers were posted all over the school depicting my daughter and my friend's son. It's slander and I will not tolerate it...at all. And I expect for something to be done about it."

The principle pursed her lips.

"This has been dealt with, I would also like to point out that Public Displays of Affection are not tolerated either at this school."

"Excuse me, would you mind telling me how the fliers were dealt with?" Adam asked in a polite voice. "We didn't get so much as a call to come in."

Miss Rickshaw was given a stern reprimand and a warning about starting rumors."

I will give your two children the same warning. One more mishap and they will be suspended for the week. Any fights happen and they will be suspended."

Rocky narrowed his eyes. "What fighting? We never said anything about fighting. Our children know better then to start fights at school."

"And do you trust your children? Do you really expect your children to behave like perfect angels when they're not in your line of sight?"

"We certainly do. They were trained at home and its ingrained into their heads. Any training we give them is for defense only. We know we can't always be there, but we do know they'll be safe no matter what. They would never start fights in school."

The principle scoffed. "There's no such thing as perfect children. I have decided that from now on, all three of them will be split up into different classes. If they're separated then there will be no temptation to start trouble."

"But that's just it, our children don't start trouble." Aisha stated.

"Nevertheless my decision stands. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a meeting to attend."

The parents got up and were shown out. They all watched as the principle walked down the hall and turned the corner.

Rocky looked after her and scratched his head. "What just happened?"

Adam held his wife close. "We just got blown off. I don't trust that principle."

Aisha shook her head. "Something's really off. All that slander and she walks."

Rocky bit his lip, "She sounded very confident but her body language tells a different story. She's was really guarded, something is definitely up."

Just then the secretary walked into the hall and handed them their new scheduals.

When she walked back into the office. The parents turned to the kids. "Something fishy's going on." Rocky said looking his son in the eyes. "We don't know what yet. They're putting you in seperate classes. So I want you to be aware of your surroundings. Do you kids remember the blindfold training I gave you?"

"The one about seeing without seeing?"

Adam nodded. "I want you to be aware of your surroundings. We don't know if anything will happen. The principle is gonna throw the book at you if you're caught fighting. So unless you get cornered with no way to escape, I would rather you chose flight over fight but if you can't run away, then use defense techniques until you can."

"If things get really bad, then call us." Rocky said. "Connor and Kira are on your speed dial too. Also, you guys need to keep to the PDA rule while in school. Don't even hold hands. We want you kids to have a good high school experience so don't do anything that would get you expelled."

The teens nodded. Autumn looked a little nervous. Tanya hugged her close and whispered in her ear." You're the daughter of a yellow ranger. I know you can do this. When you get home we'll talk some more. Okay?"

Autumn bit her lip and looked at her feet. Adam gently lifted his daughter's chin. "You're my beautiful miracle, young lady. You have no idea how proud you've made your mom and I. That's all that matters. Remember that, okay?"

Autumn grinned and hugged her dad.

"That's my girl."

Next to them, Rocky and Aisha were having a similar conversation with their son.

"Trust your instincts son, remember that your training is for defence only. Be ready for anything. I know you want to protect Autumn, but remember that she can handle herself just like you can."

"But I'm her boyfriend, I'm supposed to look out for her."

"That's true, and don't hesitate if she looks like she's in trouble, but don't forget that this principle may be out to get you. Don't do anything reckless, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now you better get class."

Kyle nodded and gave his parents hugs before he and Autumn headed to their classes.

* * *

><p>Conner and Kira were waiting out in the parking lot. When their fellow rangers approached, their faces had a hard look to them. they'd been calm in front of their kids and the principle, but now that they were outside they could let off steam."<p>

"I take it things didn't go as you'd hoped." Conner said.

Adam's visage looked stormy and Tanya's looked down right pissed off...as if one wrong word would find the speaker hurled across he parking lot.

Rocky was a little more calm then the other parents, but he still looked pretty angry. He looked at his fellow team mates. "Heading back to the house?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah, we'll be in the dojo for a while."

Rocky nodded as they drove off.

When they were gone, Rocky and Aisha turned back to the younger couple.

"We got railroaded. Nina got away with it and with only a slap on the wrist. A warning is not gonna stop her...we can only plan for the worse and hope for the best. I'm going to go to the university and visit the geniuses. We're not taking any chances, we'll cover all the bases."

"I don't know where you're going today, but please listen for the phone." Tanya added with a note of worry in her voice.

Conner nodded. "My word is my bond. We're meeting up with Ethan and Melanie at the Mall. We'll keep an eye on the phone. If you want, I'd be happy to pick up the kids after school."

Tanya nodded. "We're going to let off some steam, but as soon as you get them can you bring them right home?"

Kira nodded. "Count on us."

"Thanks guys. Have fun at the mall." Rocky said as he started his truck up.

"We will." Kira said as she waved. When the truck pulled out they climbed in their own car and just as they were about to turn on the engine. A very fancy black sedan pulled into the parking lot. It had mirrored windows.

Kira watched it drive by for a second. Out of some instinct she didn't know she had, she took off her seatbelt and scooted over to Conner, straddled his lap and leaned into his face. "I'm sorry Jock, your gonna hate me for this." Then she kissed him very possessively. Connor groaned loudly and kissed her back feeling a spark in his belly. He couldn't stop his hands that were starting to trail up her legs.

Though Kira was kissing him in a hot frenzy her mind was on the car that had pulled in a few feet away. Several seconds passed by before she pulled back from the kiss. "Conner I'm going to maneuver us down to the seat, the principle is coming, I have a hunch that we're about to hear something very interesting."

Conner's eyes looked black with passion. He could only nod as she gently pushed him down to the cushion.

Though Kira had a ulterior motive for the hot scene she had created, every part of her was on fire. She took a deep breath and laid her head on his chest, listening very carefully to the conversation taking place not far from their car.

While Conner kept up the charade of a very hot sexy scene going down, Kira flicked on a eeves dropper function that Billy had installed on her car.

It was no bigger then a half dollar but had high end digital quality to it. They could hear the conversation very clearly.

"...you'd better hope that this incident dissappears, Miss Haverty. Your job depends on it."

"With all due respect, I could run this school easier if your daughter hadn't started up the rumor mill again. It's bad enough that she's got almost every boy at this school panting after her."

"I will not tolerate such slander towards my daughter, Principle. We rigged the election so you could run this school. That was done out of the generosity of our hearts, and you'll only keep your job if you do exactly as I say. The next time they step out of line, you'll get those half breeds expelled from this school and make sure they never come back. Do you understand me?"

There was silence.

"Why do you care so much about those half breeds. I can get them under my thumb in no time. I have those parents under my boot as it is."

"Because I will not be beaten by such inferior half bred bastards that pretend to be millionaires. That house should have been my mine and it will be. I'll see to it. If we can force them out of town, then it will be mine."

"So, all this is for money?"

"And if you do as I say, I'll let you have that little house you want so badly, don't think I haven't noticed how you drool over it. It would be a nice little place to raise your son, don't you think?"

"Leave my baby out of it."

They didn't hear anything except for an engine roaring to life and then passing by them.

When they were gone Kira kissed Conner while slowly sitting up, keeping up the charade he followed her up and continued to kiss her ardently. All the while he opened an eye and saw that the coast was clear. He kissed her one last time and then broke the lip lock, panting slightly. He rested his head against his fiance's shoulder Kira ran her fingers through his shaggy brown hair.

When they were both breathing normally, Conner brushed a strand of Kira's hair aside.

"You okay Rockstar?"

Kira nodded with a slight blush to her cheeks. "I'm sorry Conner, it was a spur of the moment decision, I've never felt so naughty in all my life. I'm sorry to for jumping you like that."

Conner couldn't hide his grin. "Believe me Kira, you have nothing to to apoligize before. A gorgeous blonde woman straddled over my lap in the front seat of the car kissing me as possessively as you just did...its as close to one of my biggest fantasies as we've ever gotten. When we get married, promise me we can do this for real, and in the back seat of my car?

"Your xy chromosome is showing."

"You've been around Ethan too long."

Kira giggled and then her gaze flicked over his lap and then back to his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Conner chuckled and ghosted a kiss over her lips. "Yeah, but we'll need to delay our trip to the mall, I need to change my pants and from that sexy scent of yours you need to too. Not to mention that we'll need to drop off this recorder at the house. "

Kira nodded, took a deep breath and climbed back into the driver's seat.

She took a deep breath and started then engine...then they drove out of the parking lot.

* * *

><p><strong>Everyone still with me? LOL.<strong>

**I hope you all liked this chapter. :D Wht do you think will happen next?**

** If you haven't done so already, please give some love to the the two V-day fics i wrote for you guys. They're 'Can't Fight The Moonlight' and 'Ignorance is NOT Bliss" They could use some love just like the review button just below this AN!**

**See you guys next chapter**


	7. What Makes A Man?

**I really want to apologize for the long wait. RL has really burned me out and i've been having a lot of writer's block. I really wasn't sure how to get this chapter to work, so I'm making this chapter Ethan-Centric. **

**I guess with this chapter, I'm making a statement about how much I hate abortion. There is always an alternative. And I'm showing it with Ethan's ordeal that you'll read about in this chapter. Things get really tough for him but I promise, I'm a happy endings kind of author and this will have a positive outcome. **

**With all that being said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and leave non-flamitory reviews even if you don't agree with my views. If you can't handle the subject matter of this chapter, then don't read it and skip to the last few paragraphs.**

**Other then that, I want to remind everyone that I don't own Power Rangers. (It all belongs to Saban) The OC's and the plot belong to me!**

**Read on!**

* * *

><p><strong>Earlier That Morning<strong>

**The James House**

Ethan sat on his bed with his head in his hands. He'd barely slept at all the night before and even now, he was too wired to sleep anymore. He was still running the dialog he'd had with his dad the night before, he'd never expected it to go as wrong as it did. before this, his father had always been supportive of him. Until he found out his son was going to be a father.

_-flash back-_

_His father had shattered the facade, with an angry sneer._

_"Good job Ethan, on ruining your future. You could have been the next Bill Gates. You have the brains to run your own software business...but now, by getting some girl knocked up, you've completely blown your chances!"_

_Ethan was shocked. "Dad, I wasn't expecting this to happen, it just did. What do you expect me to do, abandon Melanie?"_

_His father threw up his arms in exasperation "Yes, that's exactly what you should do. There will be other girls once your set up in your business. As long as you pay the child support on time, she won't be around to bother you. You can go on and salvage what's left of your future. You can have it all if you don't let that girl get in your way."_

_That lit a fire under Ethan. "You mean like you did with Mom? She went through her pregnancy alone. You thought that by giving her money that she would be quiet? Dad, she went through post-partum depression and it killed her. You can justify it all you want, Dad. But I'm a man and I refuse to let my woman suffer alone. That's what a real man does."_

_"Oh how those white people have disillusioned you. All that True Love garbage has made you soft! She's was just a woman, Son. And all they do is cost you money, I wanted her to get an abortion, but she pleaded with me to let you live. I softened my resolve, and let her carry you to term. And she left me anyway. I invested in you once she was gone...and now you've let me down. Just like she did."_

_Ethan was shocked as he heard his...he heard those words leave the man's mouth. He felt weak in the knees and his breathing was harsh. He closed his eyes searching for his calm center like his mentor taught him and fought to control his breathing. He knew then that he couldn't show any weakness in front of the man he once called his father._

_Then within him, he heard the call of the Triceratops and felt the power within him return his strength. He looked up at the man watching him and then stood up. He looked defiantly at his dad and said, "Well, thank you so much, most gracious father for letting me live. So sorry I've been a disappointment to you. Dr. Oliver has been a better parent and mentor then you ever were and he's the one that made me a better man, not you. In fact, he's twice the father you were." Then in his mind he made a decision._

_"I'm gonna go to my room and clear it out, I'll be gone by morning. Then you'll never have to see me again."_

_Just as he turned to leave, he heard the man speak again. "Leave the computer and all your gaming stuff here, they're mine now. Oh and that shiny new Aston Martin I bought you for graduation, it stays here too. You're completely on your own now."_

_Ethan froze on the stairs. Then, he turned around to face the man again. "Fine, you can have the car! It's nothing compared to what I'll have with my real family."_

_That had been the end of the argument. He'd fallen asleep a little while later._

_-End Flashback-_

But now he sat on his bed with the same big duffel bag he'd used during Christmas vacation. It was filled with his clothes and the picture album he kept of his friends and his mom. He could hardly believe what had happened to him just hours before.

He looked around his room as he pulled out his cellphone. It was the one thing his father couldn't take away. It had been a graduation gift from Professor Billy and his wife. He flipped it open and made a call.

It took no time at all for Billy to show up in his massive SUV and pick him up.

He never looked back.

* * *

><p><strong>6 hours later<strong>

Kira grinned. "We did...and it was a bombshell. They won't get away with this at all. Adam told us not to worry...that they were careful when they acquired the house and all legalities were covered. They are the legal owners of the house and they have many back up copies of the deed in different deposit boxes. That loser won't get away with anything."

Ethan grinned down at Melanie and held her closer. The beautiful brown woman was already showing and sporting that special motherly glow. She now wore a blue maternity blouse with flowing sleeves and ripped shoulders. She looked regal with her pretty braids that flowed down her back and her blue jeans with the expanded front accommodated the baby bump she now sported.

She'd never looked so beautiful. As for himself, the events of the day before and this morning were slowly fading into the background of his thoughts and their future was in the forefront of his thoughts.

What the idiot man that used to be his father didn't know was that he'd been saving the money from his paycheck since he found out we was to be a father. At this point he had well over a thousand dollars saved up. And that was more then enough to get their unborn daughter started once she arrived. For now, they were just getting what they needed to get started.

* * *

><p><strong>Normal POV<strong>

Up ahead was a store called 'Baby Bunting Boutique'. This was to be one of the stops for them today. Inside was a random mix of baby things that you couldn't find at JC Penny's, Sears, or even Babies R Us.

The store was set up thus, It was split into four areas. The boys side off to the left (it was decorated in blues and greens. To the right was the girl's side (pinks and purples) and the area in the middle was the unisex area which (was decorated in whites and yellows)

And in the back was the specialties area set up for the out of the ordinary items and this was the area that had brought them to the store. He'd gotten the tip online and after grabbing a cart, the couple made a bee-line for the back.

Conner and Kira couldn't help looking around themselves as they followed their friends.

Ethan's grin suddenly got wide as he spotted a shelf of onesies and he was quiet as he picked through the pile and then he gave an exultant chuckle.

Kira raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" their nerd friend held up a pink onesie that had _"Human, Level 1'' _written in an old time script. Just underneath that were the usual game stats such as strength, intelligence, charisma and the like. It fit them so well. Connor laughed out loud and rolled his eyes.

Kira looked over at Melanie to see her reaction. She broke into a smile and laughed as well and then joined him over to see what else they could find. As Kira and Connor looked on, Melanie grinned and pulled out another onsie an held it up. This one had the binary code streaming down the front of it. With each one they found, the got nerdier and nerdier. The final one they found said in bold letters on the front 'I AM A GAMER, LIKE MY FATHER BEFORE ME'

Connor saw that and burst out laughing and had to lower his head onto his folded arms. His shoulders shook with his laughter. After a few moments he looked up to see that he was the only one laughing. His smile dropped away as his focus centered on Ethan's expression.

It had taken on a stormy quality and Melanie looked worried about him. Connor knew instantly that his brother in arms was having issues. Now was the time to act.

He gave Kira the basket and then took Ethan to the other side of the store where they wouldn't be disturbed. His brother in arms had intervened when he needed it and now Connor would return the favor.

"Okay, Ethan, what was that? You've been fine all day until now. We're brothers in every way but blood. I want to know what's up with you."

Ethan sighed. He really didn't want to discuss this, but his best friend was channeling his leader authority..and his stance let him know that he wasn't going to drop the topic.

"I've been disowned by...my ex father. He wanted me to abandon Melanie to save my future. He also told me that he let me live...apparently he tried to force an abortion on my mother...to kill me."

"I told him off and I left this morning. But in doing so I lost the Aston Martin he'd given me for my graduation gift and everything else, including my laptop and all my games. In short, all I have now is the clothes in the duffel bag and my mom's key to her safety deposit box."

I was counting on the use of the car to take care of Melanie and get her to the doctor's appointments and I really liked that car...but Melanie and our daughter is my life now. I wasn't going to give up my girlfriend and our child for my future. I can get by without the car and inheritance, but it also means that I'm starting from scratch. I have my job helping Billy at the university, but I know it takes more then that to make a life. The both of them are my life now."

Connor had listened stoically as Ethan let it out. Thinking back to his reaction to the really geeky baby shirt, he understood his friend's reaction.

"Wow that sucks. I understand your reaction to the shirt, but it's just a shirt. You're twice the man that mega-loser is. You're a good person and the both us have the best role models ever. We have Dr. O's example to follow. And that makes us both better men. I don't have a single doubt that you'll be an excellent father. As far as your life goes, yeah, starting from scratch is never easy, but from what I've seen from the older adults, It's more then worth it.

"You'll stay at the manor with us. There's already a nursery there and most likely, you'll be buying your own bassinet. Everything you and Melanie need for raising your daughter is already there. As for the car, I already own an Aston Martin."

At Ethan's stunned expression, Connor continued. "From what I've learned about my dad, he was into classic cars. The crackhead lawyer managed to rob us of the majority of the collection, with exception of a my own car and the Aston Martin. It's an older model and in perfect condition. with a few upgrades and some reworking on the engine, it'll be road worthy in no time."

Ethan's eyes widened. "You're letting me borrow a classic car? Just like that?"

Connor shrugged. Yeah. You need a car, and no one's driven it in years. I was thinking about selling it, but you need it more then I do. It's just sitting there under a drop cloth in my parent's garage. No car should have been sitting there for so long. When the ladies are done here, we can go get it and bring it to the manor."

"You can't just give it to me though. This is a classic car we're talking about." Connor looked at best friend. "We'll just consider it a loan for now. Now, come on, the ladies will be wondering where we are."

Ethan grinned feeling like a huge 10 ton elephant had been lifted off his chest. "Hey Man, thanks."

Connor put a brotherly arm around his shoulders. "No problem Dude, you had my back when I was dealing with Scott, and now I've got yours. Besides, we've faced tougher situations then this."

"That's true." Ethan laughed as they headed back to the ladies who were looking at the bassinets."

* * *

><p>Melanie walked up to him with a look of concern. "Is everything okay Ethan?"<p>

Ethan grinned and gently touched her belly thinking of his growing baby girl. Then he looked his beautiful lady in the eyes. "Yes everything is now. So, what have you found for our daughter?"

Connor smiled as Kira put an arm around him and leaned into his chest. "What was that all about?"

He pecked her lips. "Nothing really. Just two guys dealing with manly issues. It's taken care of and now we can about our own lives."

Kira leaned in for another kiss. "Anything else on your mind?"

Connor kissed her back. "Just our own future...together. I mean beyond the wedding and our honeymoon. I can't help but think about the family we'll have someday. A little trouble making kid that loves loud music and playing soccer. I know it's a long way off, but part of me looks forward to all the chaos that Melanie and Ethan are about to experience.

Kira smiled up at him and took his hand in her own. "Who's to say we won't have the chance on our honeymoon? Once we're married, there's nothing to keep it from happening. A year from now we could have our own nursery to decorate. With how our lives have turned out, anything can happen."

Connor kissed her hair. "You're right Kira. And I can't wait for it to begin."

* * *

><p><strong>So, how do you think that situation was handled? <strong>

**Next chapter, we go back to Connor and Kira.**

**Please be kind in your reviews. Since my Muse was turned into a vampire, only reviews will keep her happy, other then feeding on human blood, of course.**

**Also, for those of you who aren't aware, I've set up a Facebook page under my pen-name. It's how I keep my readers up to date. Come join us! The link is on my profile page.**

**See you all next chapter!**


	8. AN The Purge

**AN: As you have all heard, the purge is causing all kinds of trouble, so instead of writing the updates I had all planned out, I must start backing up the older fics and transferring the more adult fics to a safer site. Please don't panic. Fanficrulez and I are on it.**

**To those of you who haven't already liked my Facebook page, that's where I'm holding court, I'd suggest doing so now. **

**Should any of these fics end up being deleted from here, they will more then likely be on the yahoo group, or . **

**Also, if you truly love your fanfiction, then please help fight the purge. Go to my Facebook page and there you'll find the link for the petition! The link for both groups is on my profile page! **

**Once I get all my fics to a place of safety, i will be able to continue writing! Pray that this purge is stopped and soon!**

**Yours most sincerely, **

**slytherensangel26**


	9. Dark Chest of Wonders

****Update: This chapter has been re-edited after a glaring mistake was found. ****

****AN: Hey guys, thank you so much for being so patient. it's taken me a while to get back on the horse (so to speak) It's been a really busy time for me and will get worse as Halloween gets closer (I have props to make and the big night to get ready for) So I really do appreciate your patience.****

****Now, for this chapter, I'm using 'an arranged marriage senario'. I know that I might get flamed for it and people will say that it's just not done in the 80's and 90's but desperate parents will do anything to get their way some times, and these ones are no different.****

****Lastly, enjoy the Connor/Kira sap and I'll see you guys at the bottom!****

****Disclaimer: The Power Rangers belong to Saban (who's ready for the Samurai to resume this Saturday?)****

****Read ON!****

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Later that night<strong>**

"Thanks Calista…that sounds great." Connor said into his phone as he sat cross legged on the bed. He was gently massaging her stomach as Kira leaned against his chest.

"Yeah go ahead and charge whatever you need to. Just hand over the receipts at the next meeting….Monday sounds great….my brother won't get in till Tuesday. Great. Thanks so much…yeah. No problem…Ok. Sweet dreams…right. Bye."

Connor closed his cellphone with a loud snap and put it on the nightstand to charge for the night.

"And that is that. Dr. O and Kim come home tomorrow afternoon…so the rest of the weekend is ours."

When he didn't get a response from his bride, he leaned to the side.

"Rockstar? Are you awake?"

Kira let out a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm still here. I'm trying to figure out what could be so special about that old wooden chest."

Connor looked over her head to the old wooden Mahogany chest. It had been the only thing to survive the thieving butler. Everything else had been rifled through.

"Oh, that. I found it in my parent's bedroom. It's the one thing that hadn't been touched. So I doubted it had anything of monetary value. I thought it would make a good hope chest for us."

Kira's brow furrowed with curiosity.

"A hope chest?"

Connor shrugged. "My mother was very traditional. I don't know much about the middle class, but in a lot of rich families the girls kept a hope chest of some kind. Usually it was an old hatbox or an trunk that no one else used. They would put objects that symbolized their dreams and desires. It was for their eyes only. I heard that my mother kept mementoes of me and Eric in there. That's another reason I brought it back with us. In a way, I wanted to show you part of my past and who knows, it may include an heirloom that one knew about."

Kira leaned back and tilted her head up so she was looking up at Connor. "Let's open it."

Connor chucked and kissed her forhead. "I can't get up if you're sitting in my lap…then again, having you within reach…such easy access…"

Kira rolled her eyes. "We can't. Not if you want to stay a virgin till our wedding night." Saying this, she turned around till she was straddling him.

"I tortured you today and I owe you for that…but-"

Kira suddenly found herself silenced by the sweet kiss being pressed to her lips. Kira found herself helpless to resist him as he gently cupped both sides of her head. The kiss grew more intense.

With a moan she gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck.

For several minutes tongues dueled and hair was mussed. Moans could be heard and when they finally came up for air, both were breathing heavily.

Kira rested her head against his shoulder.

Connor smiled contentedly and gently pushed her back till they locked gazes.

"You owe me nothing Kira. That…what you did to me earlier __has __to be __the__ sexiest thing I've ever seen or experienced." He paused grinning widely. "And to quote that animated Chihuahua, 'If that was torture, chain me to the wall!'"

Kira gave him a crooked smile. "Really?"

Connor kissed her again. "Rockstar, that moment we get to that hotel, I plan for us to desecrate every surface in the room. By the time we leave the help will have to scrub everything down with industrial strength bleach and burn the sheets."

Kira grinned. Let's hope the room is soundproofed."

Connor kissed her again. "Don't worry, it is. I found us the perfect location for our honeymoon. I spared no expence It's the only thing your dad would let me pay for…that and the limo and tuxes."

Kira looked skeptical."VIP all the way?"

"Yep! First class package with the works. I promise you this. Once we're married, I won't hold anything back from you."

He kissed her again.

"I plan to erase the loser douche bag from your mind. I'll satisfy you so completely that whenever you think of sex, all you'll be able to think of is me inside you, and us, pleasuring each other all night long."

Kira groaned as her imagination took over.

"Please, Jock, we have to stop this…I can't control myself when you talk like that."

Connor looked apologetic, I'm so sorry Love, You bring out the passionate side of me."

Kira kissed him chastely. "I thought that was a good thing?"

He kissed her back with a chuckle. "It will be."

"Only a few weeks to go." She said softly.

"It'll go by fast." Connor reminded her.

They were both quiet for a few moments…both of them enjoying the moment.

"So, let's, look in the box" Kira said, scooting off his lap.

Conner happily got off the bed and walked around to end, kneeling in front of the chest. Kira sat on the end of the bed near the post and watched as her fiancé took a deep breath and lift the heavy looking lid.

It took a few moments of removing some vintage quilts and blankets, as well as an old jewelry box and two fancy silk christening outfits complete with little white booties. After removing some more antique objects which included a shiny silver key stamped with an unfamiliar crest and an vintage looking photo album, Connor lifted out a finely bound leather journal with the same crest stamped on the cover.

Conner paused in his rifling and held the journal up, examining the crest.

"That's weird, I've never seen this emblem before…and yet it seems familiar." In the next second Kira was by his side.

"Open it! I get the feeling that it's important."

Connor smiled at her and did as she requested, gently inserting the key into the lock and turning it. Just inside the front cover was a very expensive looking envelope with an old fashioned wax seal affixed to it. With careful, yet slightly shaking hands, he opened the letter and pulled out two pieces of parchment paper. He looked over at Kira as if for reassurance. She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze and he kissed her cheek before reading the fancy script.

__April 6, 1991__

__My dear son,__

__If you are reading this, then it's a good chance that I no longer live. Yes, Connor, I know it's you who would care enough to see past the fancy cars and your inheritance to the objects which hold more sentimental value…like this chest. I love your twin brother dearly, but I knew by the time you boys turned 1 that you were more like me then your father.__

__There is much to tell you, Get comfortable, my sweet boy.__

__My marriage to your father was the last arranged marriage in our family line and came from nowhere and hit me hard. Don't get me wrong, I feel a great deal of affection for your father, but he was not my true love.__

__Though I remained loyal to my spouse, my heart belonged to another.__

__His name was David Trueheart and he was both Native American and my best friend. Unfortunately, my parents were prejudiced to the 'red skins' and forbid me to marry him, even though he asked my father's permission. They also made it very impossible to elope and had paid men to keep us apart. One even held a gun to his head and forced him to leave.__

__We were both devastated when we found out about the arranged marriage, I didn't find out about it till I read the newspaper announcement. The next morning I was whisked away to this mansion and that night, married.__

__Your father knew another man owned my heart and all we could do was make the best of our situation. I never want for anything or have ever gone hungry. I'm content and happy as can be expected.__

__Now, for the real reason for this letter.__

_ _Though I'm still loyal to him, your father is really naive. I don't trust the help in this place, and I'm very suspicious of his lawyer. I wouldn't be surprised if he's already switched some of our properties to his name.__

__This is why last month I secretly met with my soul mate and entrusted him with my treasures. I trust him completely and without a single doubt in my mind.__

__Since you're reading this and I'm dead, most likely, it's time for you and your brother to meet him. In the envelope, is the leather bracelet he gave to me the night we declared our love for each other. If he doubts that you're my sons, show it to him as proof. He'll know what to do.__

__I wish I could have told you this in person. Though I can't love your father the way he deserves, know that you and your brother are my greatest treasure.__

__No trinket, no matter how pure the gold or flawless the diamond will ever mean more to me then you and your brother.__

__I hope that you have or will find your soul mate and are very happy together I hope you get the happy ending that I was robbed of. Remember to cherish each moment, with her, no matter how it is spent.__

__All my love,__

__Mom__

__PS: The address for the Truehearts is with the bracelet.__

Connor didn't know what to think as he refolded the letter and put it in his lap. Tears slid unbidden down his cheeks and he hastily brushed them away before dropping his head into his hands.

Kira waited as her fiancée sat trying to process all he had learned from his mother's words. After a few more minutes, Kira squeezed his hand.

"Are you okay Connor? Please talk to me"

Connor smiled at her. "I'm okay, I'm just really shocked." He shook his head, "I had no idea arranged marriages still exist."

Kira put an arm around her love. "I'm willing to bet it came up because of the prejudice. Her parents got desperate and put this wedding on really fast, before either of them could come up with a plan. I can't imagine being forced to marry someone I don't love; to lose my freedom like that. Your mother had to have been really strong to go through it."

Connor pulled her into his lap. "Don't even think about that. In a few weeks, we'll be happily married and riding into the sunset."

He grinned and kissed her again.

"Knowing all that they went through makes me appreciate what I have; a gorgeous woman all to myself…financial security and I get to marry you in front of God and all our friends." He smiled and she kissed him back. "It's what I want for us…I hope you what you want for us too."

Kira laughed at his expression and pulled him flush against her wrapping her arms around his neck. Connor growled softly and returned her kiss as he wrapped his arms around her lower back.

His heart thundered in his ribcage as the kiss intensified. Heat rushed through him and he had to stop them when his lower parts began to awaken. Though he hated having to stop, he gently pushed Kira back and when Kira rested her head against his chest, he pulled her closer and rested his chin on top of her head.

"I love you Kira."

"I love you too, Connor. I can't wait to marry you."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Meanwhile<strong>**

Autumn lay on the couch in the living room of the main floor with her feet in Kyle's lap.

Rocky and Adam, surprisingly, weren't upset to find them this way.

Still, that didn't stop them from having some fun…

"Hey Rocky, don't they look just a little__too c__omfortable?" Adam asked with a smirk while leaning against the entrance arch.

Rocky chuckled. "I really think you're right. They're looking really really cozy."

Kyle didn't miss a beat and was ready with his response. "Then it's a good thing I took that vow. I promised to behave and I am."

Adam chuckled and walked over to the other couch in front of them and Rocky took the overstuffed easy chair.

"Good answer. So, how was school today? The both of you have been really quiet since you got home."

At their silence, Rocky, looking really concerned asked, "Has hell already broken loose at Angel Grove High?"

Kyle shook his head.

"That's just it, __nothing__ happened. We were on guard all day today. The popular clique ignored us and the jocks left us alone."

Adam gave his friend a thoughtful look before glancing at his daughter. "And did anything look out of place? Even the smallest detail could be important."

She nodded. "The Goths. They were everywhere today..and they were watching us…and when we were waiting for Connor and Kira to pick us up, we saw Lief and Sapphire talking to Lilth and Draven."

At Rocky's confused look, Kyle explained further. "They're high school royalty. They're both Goth and no one, not even Nina messes with them."

Rocky looked thoughtful and then glanced at Adam. Both their kids looked at them.

"Dad?" asked Kyle.

"Get some sleep you two. We'll need you at your best in the kid's beginning class tomorrow. Now, did you kids get your homework done?" Adam asked.

The teens nodded. "Right after we got done with the workout.

Adam smiled and hugged his daughter. "Good girl."

Rocky mussed his son's hair. Don't stay up too long. See you in the morning."

"I won't Dad, g'night!"

When Rocky and Adam returned to the kitchen, Aisha and Tanya looked up at them expectantly.

"Well?"

Adam smiled at his wife. "It's a good thing that Selena continued the tradition."

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><p><strong><strong>So, what did you guys think of this chapter? Please, make my day and leave a review!<strong>**

****For those of you new readers, I invite you to come and join me on my Facebook page. The link is on my profile!****


	10. Chambers Of The Heart

**So here we are, the next chapter. Sorry it's taken so long!**

**Please read and review! See you at the bottom!**

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><p>Conner woke up the next morning with a lot on his mind. His mind was full of so many thoughts. He turned over to see that his beautiful bride wasn't next to him. He closed his eyes and rolled over and inhaled her scent...it burned itself into his brain. He sighed in contentment.<p>

A moment later he was fully awake and he was pretty relaxed as he pulled on his jeans and went about his morning routine.

It was still early, so mostly everyone was asleep. Once he was finished in the bathroom, he splashed water on his face, dried it and headed down the stairs. He rounded the corner and was met with a pretty sight. His fiance standing at the counter buttering her toasted bagel.

"Morning Rockstar." he said as he wrapped his arms around her hips and pulled her against him. He kissed her neck and inhaled her scent again. "I hate it when I wake up and you're not there." He said this last part as she turned her head and met his lips.

He smiled in to the kiss and rubbed her stomach before trailing his hands up her side, past her stomach and heading towards her chest.

Kira chuckled and pressed herself against him.

"Mmm..Baby...shouldn't tease me like that..." he half groaned and whispered in her ear.

His love chuckled softly. "Sorry Jock...I got carried away."

"It's okay...I could get used to this kind of thing."

Kira gently pushed him away so she could turn around and face him. He smiled down at her and kissed her again as she wrapped her arms around him.

She returned the kiss, though this one was just a peck against his lips. He smiled into the kiss. "Good Morning...I love you."

Conner held her closer to him and kissed her again. "Kira...you...I can't get enough."

"I can see that." Said a masculine voice from the direction of the door. Conner chuckled softly before he looked up.

Sure enough, there was Tommy and Kim standing in the doorway.

Kira blushed and looked up at Conner. "Busted."

He grinned and kissed her again. "Yeah, I know...but really Kira...they can't have much room to talk." He said this softly in her ear and she giggled in response as he felt eyes on them and shot their mentor a mischievous look.

Kimberly was glancing at them with interest.

Conner grimaced. "You caught us...we uh didn't expect to see you so early."

Tommy grinned at him. "Smart man...when you're caught making out with your girlfriend, act normal and keep your comebacks to yourself."

Conner wanted so badly to talk back to the man, but he instead turned his attention to Kira who was smirking at him. "Why don't you go sit down at the table. I'll get your breakfast."

Kira chuckled softly at him and walked to the table as Dr. O helped his wife into the chair.

Conner was back at her side a few seconds later and set her breakfast in front of her, before helping his fiance into her chair. Once they were all seated, Tommy looked his protege in the eye.

"I just can't seem to get away from Angel Grove without something bad happening. You better fill us in on it."

"Crap hit the fan while you were gone. I never knew that so much could happen in a week. At least not when we're not in uniform.

Kira chuckled at that.

"The biggest problem is at the high school That girl...Nina started up her personal vendetta against Kyle and Autumn. She posted fliers all around the school, accusing them of being inbred hillbilly. We ended up helping them play hookie from school. Adam was able to smooth things over at the school...at least a little bit.

The next day they all went for a conference with the principle. She's decided to separate Kyle and Autumn. They don't hardly see each other at all except for before school and after...and lunch time. That still puts me on edge for them. But there's more to it then that."

"After the meeting, Kira and I did some recon. The guy in charge, he's looking for a way to take this house from us...and he's using the principle to do his dirty work. We got everything on tape...but he's looking for a way to force us to leave so he can get this house."

Tommy nodded. "That explains why Adam gave our lawyer a call...the conference call."

Kimberly nodded. "He's in for a fight if he thinks we'll give in so easily...but it worries me that the kids could possibly be thrown into the cross fire. That idiot principle should have left the kids out of it."

"Then its a good thing that the kids were taught how to defend themselves. We've taught them all we know."

"The guy won't get too far. We thought of everything when we bought this place. All bases are covered."

The adults looked at them. "Is that everything? How are Ethan and Melanie doing?"

"We went shopping for baby stuff yesterday...some more stuff went down with him too. His dad threw him out of the house...he refused to make Melanie get an abortion...or to abandon her and the baby. He stood up to his dad and lost everything save whatever he could fit in his duffle bag. I offered to lend him the luxury car at the mansion."

"When we made the trip, Kira and I looked around my mother's bedroom...we found her hope chest. We found her diary...and a letter she wrote to me. I'm supposed to contact a David True-heart for the rest of her possessions."

Their mentor paused from his kiss to his wife's forehead. He looked up sharply at Conner.

"She left you a letter? Do you still have it?"

Conner looked at their mentor suspiciously. "You know this guy?"

Tommy looked at Kimberly and then at his student and team mate.

"Yep. David True-heart is my brother. He also is the only non ranger that knows we were power rangers. If you don't have any appointments with Callista, we could meet him today...or we could wait for Eric to get here first. It's up to you."

"You're taking all of this really well...too well." Kira said.

Tommy chuckled and glanced at his wife. "We've been wondering when you would find out about them. When I got my teaching certificate, I already knew where to settle my family down. Big open spaces...places I could speed without the cops catching me...and I knew Anton was from here. After the island was destroyed...I moved here to keep watch. My ranger senses told me that if any place was to be targeted by Mesogog, it would be here."

"He never forgot Christina. One never forgets his first love. When he heard we were moving here, he asked if we knew anything about the McKnights. We did what research we could...yeah, I knew you were her son and that's just one more reason why I came to the rescue when that incident with the Butler went down."

"Is that also why you didn't protest when we found the Dino Gems?"

Tommy shook his head. "No, that was all the Dino Gems. They chose you...not the other way around...but I kinda saw that coming. Don't ask me how I knew; it's not my story to tell."

Connor nodded in understanding, then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out the note. He met his mentors eyes and then handed it over. He watched as his mentor read the letter, his lips moving quickly as he did. When he got through the letter, he closed it up again and then looked at Connor.

"It's a good thing you told me about this. The address she has here is the wrong one. David moved off the reservation when he got married 8 years ago. They're living in an new subdivision half way between here and Reefside. He and his wife Shawna live there with their daughter Raine."

He looked at Conner "I can call and have him here by Lunchtime if you don't have any appointments with your wedding planner."

Kira shook her head. "No, we don't meet with Callista till Monday. Eric won't be here till Tuesday. We're wide open."

Tommy nodded and opened her phone. Kim kissed him. "I'll just go greet our daughter. I missed my baby girl."

Tommy nodded as he pressed a button and then settle back in his chair.

A few moments passed and then he schooled his features.

"Hey David, how fast can you get to Angel Grove? Conner found his mother's chest...she left him a letter and the bracelet. No. A promise is a promise...that secret is yours to tell. Right...yeah, we'll have a cookout. Yeah, at the manor. Cool. Of course, feel free to stay over night. The rest of the team is at home. We've got plenty of room. It's just family, most of my team, and the Parks. Stay as long as you want. No, Eric will be here on Tuesday...yeah, they're supposed to meet to decide the fate of the mansion and divide up the inheritance."

Conner and Kira glanced at each other. _Why would Dr. O tell a complete stranger about their mansion and inheritance...something didn't fit...and why was he smirking?_

"Yeah, Kim and I aren't going anywhere today. We need some family time with Kayla. Right...she'll be thrilled to see her again. We'll probably start up a movie in the basement...get the popcorn machine going and settle in for a movie or two...yep...Disney marathon if we know our girl. I don't know...ever since last Halloween she's gone from a princess to a ninja. Right? Okay..see you then. Bye!"

When he hung up the phone he opened his mouth to say something when a little tornado spun into the room and jumped into her daddy's arms.

"Hey little ninja, I missed you!"

"Daddy! I missed you too! Did you and Mama have fun at your honeymood...did the bees get you?"

Conner smirked but kept his head down. Kira chuckled and grasped his hand under the table, squeezing it gently. He looked over at her and grinned. The silent message was heard loud and clear.

_One day, they'd have a whirlwind of their own._

* * *

><p>David True-heart sat on the porch swing in his backyard. His wife and daughter were still sleeping in their bed. After his little brother had called him, he'd been unable to go back to sleep.<p>

His mind was a blur! As he gently swayed in the morning breeze, his thoughts went back to his first love. That night by the campfire when they'd both giving up their virginity, the glorious feeling that consumed him when he'd been buried between his girlfriends legs...the delicious way she'd gripped his back as he moved over her...

He shook his head. Those memories had no place in his life now. His first love was long dead, and he was incessantly happy and very much in love with his wife. Their daughter was their bright ray of sunshine.

It had taken a lot of time for his bride to break through the thick walls he'd built around his heart when he'd heard the news that she'd been forced into that arranged marriage. The woman he'd been so desperately in love with had been ripped from his side. And though he'd come up with more then one plan to rescue her, they'd all been silenced with just a few words...and a gun pointed to his head.

_In his mind's eye, he could still feel the cold metal pressed to his temple. The hard eyes of her father that bored into his. _

_"Do not ever try to see her again, Redskin. She'll be happy in this marriage...and well cared for. He's got enough money to keep her...much more then you could ever dream of. What's his millions compared to your meager earnings from selling your bracelets on the side of the road?"_

_He'd growled low at the thinly veiled insult but dared not answer back. _

_The man grinned in triumph. "That's right, Indian. At least, after all these years, your kind has learned to stay silent when you're betters are around."_

_David had growled louder his hands fisting at his sides. He wanted so badly to destroy the pompous ass in front of him. But the cocked revolver was still pressed to his temple. _

_The man continued to taunt him. "Say one word Indian ..and I'll rid the world of your pagan ass. In fact, I'm sure I'd be doing the world a favor."_

_He was being baited, he knew it...but he still stayed silent. _

_Finally, the man lowered the gun and then looked at him with disgust. He began to walk away and a relieved breath escaped him...right before the meaty fist connected with the side of his head._

His head pounded with the memory and then a cool hand was gently touching his cheek. He came out of his memories to see his baby girl looking up at him with concern.

"Daddy? Why are you angry?"

"Bad memories sweetie, I'm okay."

"Mommy says its bad to keep em bottled up. You can tell me anything."

David chuckled and kissed her hair. "I know baby. Thank you for reminding me." Their daughter was a perfect blend of them. She was just over 6 years old. Her long dark brown hair was braided down her back. She had her mother's cheekbones and warm chocolate brown eyes. She was just under 4 feet and her beautiful heart and personality were all her own.

He looked into her eyes. "I'm glad you came out here, we need to talk about something really important."

Raine never ceased to amaze him. Even now, she only kissed his cheek before settling into his lap.

"Okay Daddy. I'm listening."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. "Little Bird, do you remember when you found out that mommy was having a baby? What I told you when you got upset?"

"That the heart has many chambers and it's made of elastic...there's always room for more. "

He laughed, "Close enough."

"Well, I never told you that you had two secret brothers..older brothers. I didn't want to keep them a secret from you. But I had very good reasons for not telling you about them. They don't even know who I am...or that I'm their daddy too."

"Well, their mommy left them a note...she didn't even know that I was their daddy. Before she had to go away, she left a treasure with me... and one of them found the letter with the bracelet I made her. We're going to your Uncle Tommy's house to meet one of them today."

"I don't ever want you to think that I love them more then you. Daddy's love is endless...I'll never run out. My heart has many chambers, you and mommy have the biggest space of everyone...but there's always room for more. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Raine nodded her head solemnly. "Yeah Daddy. I can make my heart big enough to fit them too."

He grinned and kissed her cheek. "That's my girl. You make me so proud."

"You make me proud too daddy. But what about mommy. Does her heart have enough room too?"

"I've known about them for a while baby." Said the new voice from the doorway. "I've had plenty of time to make room for them." Then she looked at her husband. "So the cat's out of the bag?"

"It will be soon. We're going to the manor for the day and we'll sleep there overnight. One of them is already there. Conner found a note from Christine...Eric will be there on Tuesday. They were planning to sell the mansion and split up their inheritance. Conner is engaged too. They're both living there now until they find a place of their own."

Raine looked up at her daddy. "Okay, Daddy, I'll go pack...how long are we staying there?"

David looked at his daughter. "The weekend...if it's okay with your mommy. They're having a cookout when we get there...and a movie night too."

"Yay! I missed Kayla too! I'm gonna go pack now."

Without another word spoken, she took off into the house and thundered up the stairs.

Shawnee sat down next to her husband and leaned into his arms." Shawnee was just a year younger then him and like her daughete, she had deep brown hair that curled on its own. This morning, it was pulled back in a pony tail, and her silky hair that he loved to play with cascaded down her back. Her warm brown eyes crinkled with humor.

" I wonder how long it will take her to realize that her suitcase is in up in the closet.

Another moment passed before they heard, "Momma! I can't find my suitcase!"

David grinned before his wife kissed him and got up to go help their daughter. When he was alone again. He sighed deeply and spent a few precious moments to center himself. Today would be a huge day in their lives.

His sons didn't even know that he was more then just their mom's boyfriend...that he was their father. They'd find out today...he just hoped they could forgive him for not revealing himself sooner.

* * *

><p><strong>A couple hours later<strong>

Ethan and Melanie walked through the doors with their suitcases rolling behind them. It was then that they saw Kira sitting cross-legged on the couch. Connor lay on the couch with his head in Kira's lap. She was talking softly to him and rubbing his brow. He was playing with the hair that hung down from her pony tail as he replied to something she said.

As if sensing their presence, the both of them looked up to see their team-mate and his girlfriend in the doorway.

Conner kissed Kira and then got up to embrace them. "Hey man, its nice to see you again. Hows the car working out?

"It drives like a dream." Their friend answered as he sat down across from them with Melanie next to him. "We're going to move in here tonight. We stayed with her parents last night. But it's hard to bear their disappointment."

"There's no need to explain it." Kira said. "When mom found out I'd slept with that loser at school, she was shooting me the same look."

Melanie was smiling as she rubbed her stomach. "This little one is worth it. We're already in love with her."

Kira smiled at her. "Do you have all the stuff for the nursery?" Melanie smiled. Yeah. It's in storage till I'm a little further along. When we get passed the 5 month mark, then I'll do the nursery. She beamed back at Kira.

"So, what's going on with you two? Anything exciting?"

Conner looked at his best friend. yeah. "My mom's former boyfriend is coming in a little bit. He's got the rest of her stuff. And the crazy thing is, he's Dr. O's older brother."

"Woah..." Ethan said. "That's wild!"

If only they knew how wild it would be.

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><p><strong>So, how do you think Conner will react when he learns the truth? What do you think of David and his family? Review and let me know!<strong>


	11. The Truth Comes Out

**I want to thank all of you for your patience. Burnout is a beast...but I'm back with the next chapter. I hope you all like this. **

**Before you all plow ahead, I have a little business to handle:**

**This chapter comes with a lemon at the end...and there is a lot of back story here. **

**While writing the lemon at the end, I used the song _Safest Place To Hid_e by the Backstreet Boys as an inspiration. The lyrics don't fit as well as I wished the would. But it captures Conner's feelings and emotions perfectly. You should give it a listen. It's so very beautiful.**

**I also want to thank everyone for trusting me. I know that the twist was unexpected, and some of you weren't sure where I was going when I revealed that David was Conner's father, but I promise that it's gonna be okay.**

**Lastly, Power Rangers belong to Saban...not me. I'm just a sappy romantic that also happens to be a Power Ranger nerd. LOL**

**See you all at the bottom!**

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><p><em><strong>October 1997<strong>_

_**The Reservation**_

_Tommy walked up to the house his brother was staying at. It still felt weird to do anything without worrying about a monster attack. Just the month before, he'd passed his powers onto TJ. _

_Kim was out with Kat and Tanya doing some much needed shopping. _

_He frowned seeing that the screen door was open. _

_"David?"_

_"Yeah, Um here. Come'n"_

_Tommy's frown deepened hearing his brother's slurry speech. Walking in and closing the screen door behind him, he apprached the couch and wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of beer. He looked down at the ripped open carton of Budlight and then at his brother, who wasn't quite plastered, but on his way there._

_"David, I didn't know you drank...how many have you had?"_

_"Doesn matter. Its n' enough."_

_Ok, this was a long departure from the brother he'd first met. His hair was mussed and his eyes were slightly glazed over. Currently, he was wearing a pair of sweatpants and nothing else...except for his choker._

_Sitting down next to his brother on the couch, he spoke again. "This isn't like you bro, wanna tell me what's going on?"_

_"She's gone...thats w...wrong. Fucken asshole...gun..."_

_Tommy looked his brother in the eye. He wasn't prepared for the profanity either. _

_Ok. I'm gonna cut you off for now. I can't understand drunk talk. Let me get you something else to drink. Getting up he went to the fridge and pulled out a cold bottled water and a store bought ham sandwich._

_Sitting down beside his brother he handed over the sandwich and fought a mini battle trying to take away the beer and replacing it with the water._

_A few minutes passed as his brother ate and drank. When he was finished, Tommy handed him a napkin. Okay, now. Why don't repeat the story again."_

_She's gone. Christine is gone. The old loser with his fuckin gun pointed to my head. Insulted me and then took her away."_

_"And when did this happen?"_

_Two years ago today. She's married to him. And she's carrying my baby. I know she is...and all I got was the birth announcement and a few locks of hair. That stupid fuckin asshole took her away from me. I couldn't even fight for her."_

_Okay, that's not something I expected. How do you know that you got her pregnant? Has she come to you asking for money or something?"_

_David looked at him like he was an idiot. "I had sex with her. Several times. She fuckin drained me. Then when I fell asleep I had this dream...my baby is gonna be a ranger..just like his uncle. I know it."_

_Tommy was proud of himself for keeping up with his brothers sloshy dialogue. "Okay. Wanna tell me more about this dream?"_

_She was so hungry that night. I did my best to keep up with her...we didn't use protection at all." David paused giving his brother a serious look._

_Tommy only nodded as his brother told him about the dream. _

* * *

><p><strong>Present time<strong>

Tommy was drawn from his memories as his wife slipped her hand into his. She leaned against him and he wrapped his arms around her.

They'll be here any minute."

Tommy nodded. "This is gonna shock the hell out of him. I hope Connor can handle this."

"He's strong Tommy, just like his uncle. I thought you had more faith in him then that."

"I do, but its not everyday you get a bomb dropped on you."

Kimberly laughed. "True, but he's had you all this time. He comes from a legacy of red rangers...it will come as a shock, but given some time to think it over, he'll come out of this just fine."

"Come out of what?" Said Conner from behind them.

Tommy turned to look at him. "I've been sworn to secrecy. You'll just have to wait for them to get here."

Conner sighed heavily and then looked at Kira who had just followed him out the door. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm about to be thrown for a loop?"

Tommy sighed as Kim squeezed his hand. "I promise it's not as bad as you're expecting...it's unexpected, but not bad."

Connor sighed again as Psyche and Mischief came to stand on either side of them. Over the time they'd stayed there, both dogs had warmed to them. Now, Mischief who was now easily recognizable with his brown fur and the white strip of fur down the middle of his head. Psyche who was named for the beautiful girl from Greek Mythology...and Psyche the Pitbull was just as sweet a girl with her peachy white fur and pink nose. She licked Kira's hand and leaned against her leg. Kira only laughed softly, scratching the sweet dog behind the ears.

They all stood silent for a moment as the red SUV pulled into the driveway. Tommy strode forward as the car idled and stopped.

Conner watched in silence as the brothers embraced and then the dark eyes met his own. He saw the newcomer study him as if seeing the sun for the first time. The moment lasted a few more seconds and then the newcomer gave his brother another look.

Then the moment passed as the passenger door opened and a woman stepped out. She flashed him a smile and then walked around to the other side and opened it in time for a little girl to jump out. She gave him a smile too and then tugged on her mommy's hand.

All this took place in the space of a few minutes. Kira squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek. That snapped him out of his staring and he wrapped an arm around her as they strangers strode up the steps.

The man, David, gave him another smile as they passed through the door. Just behind him was the little girl and the woman, both pulling small carry-on bags. When they were inside, Tommy came up to him. Their mentor gave them both another look along with a small smile. "Come on, lets go see what the guys have cooked up."

As they walked through to the grill on the back patio, Conner's mind was on the stranger. What was it about him anyway? Sure he was mom's ex boyfriend...but the look the man had given him had been warm and lighthearted. Not the look of a stranger...

Kira squeezed his hand again.

Conner smiled down at her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

David smiled at the look of love passing between his son and his fiance...Kira. He hoped very much that she was help him through the bombshell he was about to drop on them both.

"They're both incredibly strong." Tommy said behind him. "They can handle anything thrown at them. Their bond is even stronger, he fought for her tooth and nail. Even though you're about to shock the hell out of them, he's learned the importance of turning to his woman for support."

David nodded. "This is what Christine wanted for her sons. When's Eric coming in?"

"Connor called him earlier. He'll be here early tomorrow. Its hard to get him away from the Wind Ninja Academy in Blue Bay Harbor. I called some friends of ours that teach there and had a talk with them. After his training is done for the day, he'll leave."

David took a deep breath and looked at his son again. "Got any liquid courage laying around?"

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later<strong>

The grill was cleaned and the food put away. The kids were down in the basement theater watching movies and eating popcorn. Adam and Tanya had gone up to their room already. It was just the adults sitting around the fire pit on the back porch. All around the fire sat the Tommy and kim, David and Shawnee, and Connor and Kira.

Kira rested her head on Conner's shoulder as they all made small talk.

Finally David sat up and kissed his wife. Then he looked at Conner. I guess now's as good a time as any. I know you've got a lot of questions for me about Christine...your mom. But there's something important I need to tell you.

The young man met his eyes. I don't remember a lot about mom...I just found her diary last night. If you have more to tell me, I'm all ears."

David exhaled softly and shook his head. What I'm bout to tell you has been kept a secret ever since the night you and your brother were conceived. Except for myself only a handful of people know about this. When I first found Tommy, I told him too, but he's been sworn to secrecy.

Conner furrowed his brow. "A secret? What kind of secret?"

David sighed again. I never want you or anyone to doubt my love for Christine. She was my first love and first in every way that mattered. The night before your mother was ripped from my side, we snuck off together and I presented her with my betrothal gift. It's the custom of our tribe, to weave a bracelet out of leather and present it the girl we wanted to marry. It's our version of an engagement ring. Until that time in my life, I loved only her...and she loved me very much in return."

"We made love that night until neither of us could see or walk straight. It was the best night of my life. We had absolutely no inkling of what the morning light would bring. However that night, I had a dream and in it, I sat before a roaring fire with the night sky over head. The moon was shining over me. I stared into the fire and saw two babies floating in the midst of the flames. One of the babies shadows faded, but didn't disappear The other shadow got stronger and more defined. As I watched it morphed into the shadow of a young man. From somewhere I heard a roar like I'd never heard before, it was so tribal and fierce...the shadow began to dance around, only the dance was very uniformed like a martial arts dance.

Then the face of a dinosaur engulfed the shadow. It roared even louder and I woke up in a cold sweat. I knew then that Christine and I had made a baby that would one day become a power ranger.

Conner felt all the air go out of him. His eyes widened and his hands became fists.

"Your my dad?"

David nodded. "You and your brother are both mine. You have my temper, but I need you to know the rest of the story. There was a reason that I kept your paternity a mystery. Christine's father was very big racist. If he'd known that his grand children were half Native American, or Redskins as he called me, it's very possible he would have demanded that she have an abortion. A month later, when it was confirmed that she was pregnant, the three of us had a secret meeting. We didn't know if you'd come out looking like me or like your mother."

"We decided that it would be best to pass you two off as their children and when you both were born, and that's what we did. We also got very lucky that you didn't look like me, that you'd looked more like your mother. They didn't think anything of the fact that you'd come a month too early to be theirs. They bought it hook, line and sinker."

David paused and looked across the table. Connor sat ramrod straight in his seat, staring at his lap. Kira's hand was curled around his fist. He watched as Connor closed his eyes, trying to stay calm.

"I know you're angry at me, but it was all for your safety and well-being. The one thing the old bastard got right was that he had a lot more money then me. I had a job, but it wasn't nearly enough to support two kids. And they were loaded."

"Christine's husband was way too naive, but he was a good man and agreed to keep it all under wraps and just to avoid any doubt, when you were born he asked for a DNA test. It was done very discretely. The tests came back positive."

"I wished so badly that I could have been there to see you two hit every milestone of growing up. But I set up a PO box in Angel Grove...when they could they'd send me pictures, locks of hair...letters so I could watch from a distance. I wanted so much more but that was the best any of us could do."

"Then, after the accident. I lost track of you for a while. When Tommy and Kim moved to Reefside, I asked them to track you down again. He's been keeping watch over you ever since then. I only wished I could have done more...I really did want to be in your lives...but that old man stood in the way."

Saying this, David picked up an old chest and placed it on the table. He didn't say a word as he opened the lid.

"All this time I've kept everything she ever sent me. There's not a day that went by that I didn't think about you two. I've always kept your pictures close by."

Conner nodded as he fought back tears. He looked at David and then back at Kira.

"I'm sorry. I know this is supposed to be a special moment, when we hug and get to know each other...but I just can't handle all this right now. I need to wrap my head around all of this."

David nodded as Conner stood up from the table. "I understand S...Conner. I'll be here when you want to talk more."

Conner only nodded as he turned and walked out of the room, up the stairs and into their room. Kira only shot David a small smile before she followed her fiance out of the room.

* * *

><p>When Kira opened the door she saw a heart shattering site. Conner was on the bed with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his knees. His shoulders were shaking and his head rested on his knees.<p>

Kira stood watching him for a moment more and then turned and locked the door. She dimmed the lights, took her shoes off and crawled onto the bed. Conner stopped for a moment and lifted his head to glance at her. His eyes were red rimmed and weepy. "Kira, don't come in here, I don't want you to have to see this."

He watched as she put an hand on his knee.

"Did you honestly think that I would stay away and abandon you when you needed me most? When you proposed to me, I agreed to marry you...all of you. The brave Red Ranger, the hot soccer player and most of all, the soft and tender lover that only I ever get to see. Don't you ever even think about keeping me out."

Conner shook his head and lowered his knees when Kira motioned for him to do so. She was silent as she took off his shoes and climbed onto his lap, straddling him.

"Kira, you shouldn't do that...I'm weak and...v."

Kira silenced him with a kiss and with that his restraint broke and he clutched Kira to him and held her close. The beautiful woman in his arms didn't make a sound of protest as he attacked her lips. Instead she kissed him back just as heatedly.

"Kira...Kira..." He softly chanted as their lips separated.

His eyes had darkened and a tear streak was easily visible down the side of his cheek.

"Let me in, Conner. You are mine to take care of. Just this once, let me be the one to save you."

Conner shook his head. "No, I'm a red...was a red. I can't let you do this."

Kira softly growled under her breath. "You _are_ a red...that never goes away. But I'm a yellow. You may be the tough Red ranger jock to the rest of the world, but here, in our bedroom, you are Conner McKnight...and my soul mate. You're mine and I'm the one and only person that will ever know that you broke down like this."

She looked into his eyes and saw that her mate was in pain...but along with the pain, there was also love and trust.

She kissed his lips again. "Tell me Conner what do you need?"

He kissed her back and then rested his head against her chest. "You...just you. I want to forget what happened downstairs...I can't handle it right now."

Kira kissed his forehead as he looked up at her. The man who owned her looked so vulnerable...so broken...Kira's heart broke for him. She kissed his lips again and then reached down between them and took off her shirt.

"Take what you need Conner."

He looked up at her again. "No, I can't...I want to."

She ran her fingers through his hair. "I won't let you go too far Conner. But take what you need."

He looked at her again and she leaned down kissing his lips.

That last shred of his control left him then and he attacked her lips again and she reached behind him and helped him out of his shirt...then he went back to kissing her and only a moment passed before his lips left her and began to wander to her cheek and then her neck and her collar bone.

Kira's body flared to life then and she couldn't help but moan. Conner stopped for a moment but then went back to kissing the her shoulder and his hands began to wander. They rubbed her back and then made their way to her stomach and then up.

Finally, they reached her chest and he brushed his fingers across the soft cotton of her bra. She softly inhaled before she reached behind her and unlatched the snaps When it fell away he looked into her eyes and then latched on to her.

With the hunger of a desperate man, he bathed her breasts in kisses and when she moaned softly he sucked on them gently and at the moment, she felt her arousal dampen her panties.

Connor paused as he smelled her.

He let go of her breasts and then looked into her eyes.

Kira's eye darkened when she felt him harden underneath her. He moaned softly shook his head squeezing his eyes shut. But the former yellow ranger was having none of it. And when he reached between them to adjust himself, she ground down on him. He managed to move his hand out of the way just in time.

"Kira!" he softly whispered "I'm sorry, I can't stop!"

But Kira silenced him with another kiss. "Shhh. I'm taking control. Let me have my way."

Saying this she scooted back and unbuttoned his pants. He didn't fight her at all and let her help him out of his jeans. When they were on the floor, he watched with hooded eyes as she took off her own pants leaving just her soft yellow panties on.

He groaned again when she straddled him again and grounded her heat on his. He was lost to the world as Kira picked up the pace and he couldn't stop himself from bucking his hips at her.

Kira...Kira..." he panted as she kept increasing the pace at which she grounded herself on to him. She barely flinched when he grabbed her hips and pressed her harder against him.

"I'm sorry Kira...I can't stop...can't stop."

"Then don't."

He moaned softly as he bucked his hips and at the same time, she ground him as hard as she could. Then she felt him shaking in her arm.

"I can't hold on...so close." He kissed her shoulder and then, without warning he bit her shoulder and sucked hard. Kira held on to him as he marked her.

He gasped as she felt him self tense up. Kira captured his lips again and then rocked her hips hard as she could and he shattered in her arms. She kept rocking against him as he exploded between them. She didn't stop until he sagged in her arms.

Neither of them said anything as she stroked his back whispering to him how much she loved him...that she'd always be there for him...how everything would be alright.

He only nodded against her shoulder as he came down from his climax.

When at last he looked up at her, he frowned. "You didn't come."

"I didn't plan to. You were the one who needed the release...I can take care of myself when you go clean up."

He shook his head. "No. This isn't right."

She protested but this time, it was Conner's turn to silence her. As he captured her swollen lips in his, he gently pressed her back till she was laying on her back. When Conner broke the kiss she looked up at him in curiosity.

He kissed her again before trailing his lips down to her core. He looked up at her and then zeroed in on her slit.

Stars exploded behind her eyes as he eagerly went down on her. She bucked her lips at him as he held her hips in place. She was barely able to stay quiet feeling him work her into a frenzy. With each open mouth kiss and every pass of his tongue against her sensitive nub, she felt herself tighten up.

"Conner... Conner..." She whispered.

He only pressed harder and she grasped the back of his head. He reached between them then and pressed hard on her clit and she shattered around him. She had to bite her lip to stay quiet. Still, he didn't let up the pressure.

Not until she sagged to the bed.

Then and only then did he lift his head to glance at her. She gave him a dazed smile and he smiled at her as he laid down on the bed next to her and pulled her close.

He nuzzled her neck and she kissed him again. When the both of them could breathe steadily, he kissed her back.

"I'll go get us some hot rags."

Kira kissed him again. "Okay."

He got up from the bed then and pulled on his robe. When he opened the door, he looked down in surprise and confusion as he saw the plastic tub with steaming hot water. Two rolled up rags were resting aginst the side of it.

He blushed when he realized that someone knew what they'd been up to...

He picked up the bowl then looked around and saw that the hallway had darkened considerably. Assured that he was alone, he turned around and closed the door behind him.

Kira looked up at him with sleepy eyes. He smiled back at her as he took one oft he wash cloths and squeezed the water out. He kissed her feet as he lifted up her leg and began to clean her up.

As he performed the simple gesture, he looked down at Kira and his heart swelled up with love...he had no idea how it wasn't exploding with how much adoration he had for her.

When she was clean he turned and cleaned himself off, and when he had changed into another set of boxer brief and sleep pants, he helped her slip in between the sheets.

When he'd turned out the light, he wound his arms around her and pulled her closer to him.

He smiled as he kissed her hair again. She kissed him back and then rested her head on his shoulder.

They both knew they'd have to face the truth the next day, but he knew that Kira would never let him face it alone. She'd be by his side every minute.

_How again did he get so lucky?_

* * *

><p><strong>So, what did you all think? Was the reaction what you all thought it would be? The next chapter will be the introduction of Eric McKnight. See you all then!<strong>


	12. Another Twist in the Tale

**And I'm back. I'm so sorry for the very long lull in chapters, but I'm back in the game again. Without further ado, here's the next chapter.**

**Special thanks to Mertmidnightangel for her fabulous red pen and for helping me to figure out where this fic is going!**

**See you at the bottom!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Next Morning<strong>

**5 am**

"Connor..." Kira breathed as her sweet fiancé kissed her awake.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Rockstar. I just wanted to kiss you goodbye. My brother's plane will be touching down soon. David, Dr. O and I are headed out to meet him at the airport. I love you...and thank you for last night."

Kira chuckled as she opened her eyes. "It was just as good for me." She slowly sat up and wrapped her arms his neck as they held each other a moment more, exchanging a few more sweet kisses. Then he regretfully had to let her go. "I'll be here when you get back."

Connor smiled and blew her one more kiss before he turned around and walked out of the room. When the door was closed, she lay back down and fell back to sleep.

As Connor walked down the stairs, he saw that Tommy and David were sitting at breakfast table, sipping out of coffee mugs. Well, Dr. O...Uncle Tommy...ugh, was drinking Coffee. David however was drinking hot chocolate. That smelled really good. As if sensing his thoughts, Shawna, his new stepmother, walked over to the counter with a mug of hot chocolate for him. He inhaled the soothing smell of cocoa and smiled at her gratefully, blowing softly on the hot liquid before tasting it.

"This is amazing."

She beamed "Thank you You're so much like your...like David," She quickly corrected herself. "He's got a massive sweet tooth in the mornings. I've had plenty of time to get the recipe just right."

Connor immediately regretted his reaction the night before. "I'm sorry about last night. It's just a lot to take in."

She smiled at him again. "It's okay. This will take some getting used to. Relationships aren't created overnight. We both know these things take time."

Connor gave her another grateful smile before drinking his cocoa.

"You should take some time to relax, David," Tommy said when they were finally on the road. "I don't see it being as bad as you think."

Connor looked up to the seats in front of him. His own mind had been swirling with so many thoughts before To...uncle Tommy...Thomas...Dr. O spoke up. He'd failed to realize before then that he wasn't the only one nervous and fidgety.

_This has got to be grinding his nerves, he's about to meet my brother, his other son. I know this can't be easy for him._

"I don't think it will be as bad as you think, I haven't seen Eric as much as I used to, but he was never one to take anything seriously. He's kind of predictable that way."

That statement alone caused Tommy pause. Without looking away from the road, he said. "Wait a second, I thought you said he flunked out of ninja school. If he doesn't train there any longer, then what is he doing there now?"

Connor went quiet as he considered the question. "I have no clue, that doesn't make any sense to me. He told me once that his dream was to make a name for himself, prove that he was more than a trust fund baby. If he'd flunked out, then there's no reason for him to stay there. He would have gone on to his next adventure, not stayed where he was."

David looked between them. "Looks like we're about to find out then."

* * *

><p>Eric McKnight woke from his nap as the plane touched down on the runway. He let his vision adjust for a moment before he looked down at his son, Kailen. His fair haired child was still asleep, the boy's head resting against his shoulder, and the blue hoodie he wore was wrinkled with the plastic end of the draw string still in his son's mouth. While most parents would have corrected this bad habit a long time ago. Eric hadn't said a word...the strange child had come into his life with a complex. Any behavior that he showed, as long as it wasn't life threatening, was one more step towards ridding his son of the problem. But for now, he only gently shook his son's shoulder to wake him up. "Hey there dude, we're getting off the plane soon."<p>

It took a second for the boy to come to, but as he rubbed his eyes, his yawn made his daddy smile and then he adjusted his hoodie and ran a hand through his hair, which made his daddy frown.

He stopped immediately and looked into his lap as they waited for the plane to let them off. When he did, he looked to his daddy for direction.

Eric hid his frown and instead ruffled his son's hair before he took off the seat belt and stood to retrieve their shared carry on from the over-head bin. With the strap over his shoulder, he motioned for his son to go ahead of him towards the ramp.

When they were once again on solid ground (so to speak) he pulled out his cell phone and dialed his twin's number.

Connor pulled out his cell phone when it went off and answered it.

"Hey Bro, whats up?"

"We just landed at the airport; we're going to get something to eat."

Connor furrowed his brow. "We? You didn't mention you were bringing a guest with you."

He heard his brother sigh over the phone. "Yes, but before you say anything I need you to keep an open mind."

"What, are you gay?"

He heard his brother snort over the phone. "No, I'm straight as an arrow. I have a son, Bro. He's different then other kids and I don't want him overwhelmed. Please, just act normal around him, I promise to explain everything tonight, once he's asleep."

A million thoughts and assumptions played through Connor's mind. But he shoved them all to the back of his mind. "We really need to catch up later...you've got loads to answer for."

"Like you being a Power Ranger?"

At that, all breath left the younger twin. "How could you know that?"

"You've got loads too, Connor. But I'm upsetting my son. I promise, we'll catch up later."

Connor was even more confused now. He had no idea what to think. "Okay, got it, open minded. I can't wait to meet my nephew."

"Thanks Bro. See you guys soon."

"Yeah, you're welcome." Connor said slowly as he hung up. He looked at the other men and was suddenly glad that Kimberly had suggested they take the Carlita instead of his mustang. "Remind me to thank Kimberly, I should know by now to never ignore a woman's instincts."

David and Tommy looked at each other before looking at him. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"Eric has a son. He's pretty vague on the details. He asked me to keep an open mind about it all and promised to fill us in on the details, but not till later...to avoid upsetting his son. I not sure about anything right now." He sighed. "I'm so glad Kim told us to bring the hummer. Who knows what kind of accommodation he needs."

They were all quiet then, and not another word was spoken as they got to the airport.

* * *

><p>In the meantime, Eric and his son were sitting at a table in the local McDonalds having a stare down. Kailen hadn't wanted a kids meal. He'd wanted a grill chicken fajita with ranch, and apple slices.<p>

Eric wanted nothing more than for his son to act like the three year old he was. And there were times that he did...but they were rare; his son tried so hard to act like a mini adult. Eric had no idea what to do about it. It had been his secret hope that maybe with his brother being a power ranger, he'd have ideas on how to heal the wound the birth mom had left on his boy. He broke the gaze as he phone alerted him about a new text.

He typed his response and then put the phone away. Minutes later, he looked up to see his brother along with two strange men he'd never met before. They were all looking back at him, confusion on their faces. He looked at his son and then got up and hugged his brother.

As they embraced, he whispered. "Open mind."

Connor nodded and then stepped back. He smiled gently at the boy, "I take it this is your son?"

Eric nodded and then sat back in his seat. "This is Kailen." He put a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. "Kailen, this is your Uncle Connor."

The boy looked at the men warily. They looked kind of intimidating. He was nervous but his Dad looked at him expectantly. So he swallowed his water and stood to his feet and looked bravely up. "Hi, Uncle Connor."

Connor looked down at the little boy with confusion. From the first moment he saw him, he knew something wasn't human about him. He almost looked like an elf, but he had Eric's color hair and his eyes were a hazel color with streaks of blue in them. But he looked at Eric and then got down to the boy's level. "Hey there, Kailen. It's nice to meet you. But you didn't have to leave your seat for me."

Kailen shook his head. "It's rude to stay in your seat when an adult comes into the room."

Tommy and David both gave a worried glance at Eric who had a worried look of his own.

Connor gave the boy a smile. "You're very polite. Please, finish your meal. It smells delicious."

The boy gave the other adults a look before he returned to the table and dug into his kid's meal.

Connor looked at David and Tommy and they walked off to order their own food. While the older men were gone, Connor looked at his brother. "The whole open minded thing goes both ways, it's your turn now."

When Eric said nothing, he continued. "We've been lied to, about everything."

* * *

><p>"So, you're really my dad?" asked Eric as they made their way to the parking lot.<p>

"That's right, but you don't have to call me dad, not if you're uncomfortable with it. Tommy's my brother, so that makes him your uncle as well."

Eric shook his head. "No, that works out perfectly. Kailen needs normalcy; having a grandfather is a big step in the right direction for him.

"And what about you?" asked David. "What about your needs?"

"I'm a parent. I don't have that luxury. Except for Connor, I've never had a family. It's hard to miss what you never had."

Tommy frowned hearing that. He had just finished putting the child safety seat in the back and was now stepping out of the side door so the others could get in.

Kailen looked up at the pretty car. His child side was fighting to get out. _Must not be childish. It's bad,_ he thought to himself. Instead he looked up at his father. "Dad, what kind of car is this?"

Connor walked over to them having heard the question. "This is The Carlita. It's a hummer limo. We only use it for special occasions like dances and picking up awesome people from the airport. Your seat's already strapped in."

Eric grinned, picked up his son and climbed inside, looking around while Tommy and David loaded up the luggage in the back. Kailen was especially interested in the video screen. It had a very colorful console with it. The buttons were so tempting and he wondered what they did...but he knew better then to touch anything so he kept his hands in his lap.

Soon after, Connor climbed into to the seat along with David. When the door was closed, Tommy put the privacy window down but kept his eyes on the road.

David looked at his grandson. This was not something he had expected. He was gonna be a father in a few short months; now he was also a grandfather...He watched a few moments more before he leaned forward and pointed to the button. "This button lets you choose the cartoons you want to watch, this one is for music and finally, this one controls the party lights in the cabin."

The boy looked up at his Father for permission then he timidly pressed one of the buttons. Immediately blue lights started flickering all over the cabin. The boy looked around him in wonder and then pressed down another button. This time, the TV came on and immediately the Animaniacs started playing. The boy looked at the screen fascinated.

David smiled and looked at his sons. Another small step was taken.

Tommy's eyes were on the road, but he was also deep in thought. The boy looked human for the most part, but something was off. He'd never seen those kind of eyes, except for contacts he'd seen for Halloween costumes. But then the boy was too young for contacts, so they could only be his natural eye color. If Eric was his father, then where was the mother? What had she done to the boy to make him act like that? It was time to talk to Billy. He'd have the answers.

Eric smiled easily as his son watched the cartoons. It was a small relief for him. Before Kailen, he'd been busily investigating the lawyer who had stolen a huge chunk of the family fortune, hitting brick wall after brick wall. But he'd kept at it.

The sudden arrival of his son (via the strange woman, aka the birth mom) had changed everything. The mysterious woman had told him hardly anything but had abruptly handed Kailen off and then walked out of their lives forever. He'd spent so much time caring for the boy, that he'd completely lost focus in his classes, giving up on all his needs and wants.

That had been the reason for his flunking.

Cam had been the one to let him know he had to move out. The same day, Eric's secret had been discovered, and Tori had been his savior. She'd shown him some sympathy and spoke to the other teachers, as well as Sensei, and in the end they'd been allowed to stay. Sensei had refused his offer to pay room and board, insisting that all the money should go to his son's needs and desires. So they'd struck a deal. In exchange for them protecting his secret and allowing them to stay on campus and feeding them, Eric helped keep the dojo and training grounds in perfect order and when needed served as an extra opponent for the lessons. At night, once his son was asleep, Cam or the other sensei helped him develop his skills. The night before he left to come to Angel Grove, he'd been given a final test. Cam had held nothing back, and neither did the other teachers. They attacked him brutally to the point of near collapse. And he'd passed the test. He was now a wind ninja.

He looked at his son, who was still staring at the TV. His son was his whole life now. He'd thought long and hard about moving to be closer to his twin brother. He never guessed that he and his son would get a whole family out of the deal. Their parents had died when they were young, leaving his twin brother and himself everything. David...his father had given him the cliff notes version of the story. He knew there was more to it than him simply giving into his carnal desires for a pretty girl.

Eric did feel a little overwhelmed. But they had time to figure everything out. His father, uncle, brother...the power rangers. But more than that, his son may yet have a chance at a normal life.

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><p><strong>So, I know this is an unexpected twist, but you'll just have to trust me on this. There's more to this then meets the eye. I know there's not much Kira in this chapter, but I promise she'll be there in the next one.<strong>


	13. Girl's Day Out

**Well, here we go with another chapter. **

**Beta credit goes to Mertmidnightangel for her brilliant red pen and for being an awesome sounding board. LOL. **

**Disclaimer: nope, I still don't own the power rangers. (property of Saban brands)**

**Okay, so that's out of the way now. Read and review please! **

**See you at the bottom!**

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><p>Kira woke up about an hour after Connor left. She stretched for a few moments and then throwing on a robe which happened to be Connor's, headed for the bathroom. She took her time this morning, let the hot water run down her body, all the while thinking about her man, how good he made her feel the night before. And of course that only served to excite her, but she was passed caring about that.<p>

Thanks to her own stupid mistake, her first time had been disastrous. That loser didn't even take care of her. He only took, not giving a darn thing back. Connor however, was a thousand times better then the idiot that she'd foolishly given her virginity to. She moaned softly as she reveled in the memory of him gripping her hips and dragging her hot core over his...mmmmm..

All that excitement, and he hadn't even taken her yet. If just their groping and grinding could make her all sensitive and wild at the same time, she could hardly wait for him to take her all the way. Of course she knew that was only the prelude to their honeymoon. She moaned again and looked at the shower head...thank goodness it was detachable and had a massage setting. She'd never really thought about using it this way...it might be worth a try...

30 minutes later, Kira walked out of the shower feeling amazing. Her hair was pulled up in a turby twist and Connor's robe once again was wrapped around her. The shower head had been amazing...not as amazing as her fiancé of course, but it had done the trick. Now, she was back in their room and looking into the closet, debating on something to wear. Thankfully, unlike the girly girls, she didn't have to spend hours trying to find an outfit. Instead she immediately opted for a yellow cami and a pair of black capris.

With that done, she walked over to the drawers and looked at her underthings. That's when she realized a shopping trip might be in order. That pig headed asshole who had masqueraded as her father had made her get rid of her girly things, leaving only plain white briefs and white sports bras...nothing even slightly girly. Well, that bastard was long gone, stuffed in a prison cell and hopefully had become the bitch of some brutal cell mate. She dearly hoped he was suffering a thousand times more than she ever had.

Her hands were beginning to hurt which brought her out of her angry thoughts. She looked down and saw that knuckles had turned white and the pain came from her gripping the drawer too hard. She immediately released her hold and didn't even look down again, grabbing the first pair of underwear she saw and closing the drawer harder then she needed to before sitting down on the bed.

She took several deep breathes and then much more calmly put her deodorant on. She quickly pulled her clothes on and slipped into her sandals, stopping only to turn off the light in the room before she headed down to the main floor.

Melanie looked up at her as she walked into the kitchen. Tanya was with her as well as Kimberly and Shawna.

"Good morning Sunshine!" Kimberly said brightly. "Get a good night's sleep?"

Kira nodded as she took a seat at the table. "Yeah, I slept wonderfully."

"I'll just bet you did." Melanie said with a knowing smirk.

At that Kira froze. "You heard that? Like all of it?"

Melanie grinned. "Nope, but you just confirmed it."

At her confused look Kimberly grinned. "You do know that the walls are soundproofed right?"

Kira's head dropped to the counter.

"Oh come on Ladies, leave the poor girl alone." Tanya said as she walked up with a cup of hot chocolate. She set it down in front of Kira. "You guys all had walks of shame; let's make this one easy on her okay?"

Kira looked up blearily. "No shame in it, we didn't do what you're thinking we did. But now that you've all given me your good mornings, I'm gonna make a trip to the mall for some necessities. I'll see you later."

"Wait Kira, you're not going alone." Kim said in a voice of authority.

"Why not, it's not as if the boogieman is laying in wait."

"It's not that you can't handle yourself if you were attacked. But I have this feeling that something bad could happen if you go alone. Just call it mother's intuition. There's safety in numbers, one or more of us should go with you."

Kira couldn't argue with that. "Okay, but I'm taking Tanya and Shawna. They're the only ones that haven't made any comments about my...what my future husband and I do behind closed doors."

Kimberly laughed softly. "Oh Kira, we were just teasing you. We're all women here, there's no shame in taking care of our husbands and fiancés when it's needed. All the men are at work, so this would be great time to go shopping."

When the latest yellow ranger looked ready to protest, Tanya stepped in. "I'll go in your car. We yellows should stick together. Let the others take their own cars. I'm all ready to go as it is. We can leave now if you want."

Kira drained the last of her cup and stood to her feet. "Sounds good to me."

"Just let me go wake my daughter up and get her dressed. We'll meet you there." Shawna added.

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><p>Minutes later, Kira started up her Camaro and pulled out of the garage.<p>

Tanya looked over at Kira. "So what are we shopping for today?"

"We're going to Victoria's Secret. When Roger cracked down on my freedoms, he made me toss out anything remotely girly, including my underthings. I was only allowed to wear white briefs and plain bras. I'm gonna be getting married soon and that's not what I want to wear for Connor on our wedding night. Or any other night."

Tanya only nodded. "I'm proud of you Kira; don't let that Assjockey stop you."

Kira exploded in laughter and had to fight to keep her hands on the wheel. It immediately broke the tension she was feeling.

Tanya was still grinning at her when she'd calmed down. "Victoria's Secret is well and good for everyday things, like underwear and bras, and we'll go there, but for what you're thinking of, we can do better than that place."

Kira looked at her as they came to a stop light. "What did you have in mind?"

Tanya only grinned bigger. "You'll see soon enough."

2 hours later, Kira had bought a few matching sets of bras and panties, and Tanya had talked her through everything, giving her insight into the mind of a carnal man, and helped her pick out a set that even Kira hadn't thought was a bit much. There was hardly anything to them!

"_Just trust me on this, Kira. When Adam and I were first married, I wore this and an apron while I cooked breakfast for him and he ravaged me the rest of the day. Our men are very honorable, but they are still males. They have very carnal minds, and this kind of thing drives them wild. I'm pretty sure Autumn was conceived that night too."_

Now, they were standing at the entrance to the next store.

"Fredrick's?" Kira asked in confusion.

"Yep," Tanya said. "I don't shop here very often, but when I need to spice things up a bit, this place always has what I need. Now, if you want to surprise Connor on your wedding night, we have to keep this purchase a secret. We'll use my card."

Kira could only nod. This was a side to Tanya that she'd never seen, but she trusted that Tanya would never lead her wrong.

"Hello, Mrs. Park." said a voice with a distinctly British accent. "Welcome back, what can I help you with today?"

Kira turned to regard the sales women. She was an older lady with red hair that reminded her of Julie Andrews. She wore a very feminine but understated black suit with a belted waist and around her neck was a tape measure.

"Hey Eileen, my friend Kira is looking to get a little something for her honeymoon, something different then what Victoria Secret has to offer. I knew this was the best place to find what she's looking for."

"Well, that's delightful, come with me and we'll get started."

It was nearly lunch time when they walked out of the store with a nice sized bag in hand. Up ahead Kimberly and the other girls were waiting for them.

When they walked up, Kimberly stood to her feet. "I see your trip was successful. But we need to get going. The guys have returned already. They want to go out to dinner to welcome the newest members of the family."

"Members, that sounds like more than one." Kira stated.

"Yep, that's why I want to get home. Come on already!"

Kira and Tanya both chuckled as they followed the other women out.

But all the chuckling came to a halt when they saw what awaited them in the parking lot. All four tires on Kira's camaro had been shredded and the driver's side door had been scratched.

None of the girls knew what to think. Kimberly only pulled out her cell phone and called her husband. "Hey, Tommy, we've got a problem. Someone's vandalized Kira's car. Her tires have been slashed and her door is really scratched." Tommy said something in reply to which Kim nodded. "Yeah, we're all fine. We're gonna call the brothers for a tow. Okay handsome, we'll just stay put d wait for you guys. I promise, I'm fine. I love you too. Bye."

When she hung up the phone, Kim looked at Kira who was still looking at her car. "Hey, it's okay Kira. If anyone can fix it the brothers can. Everything will be fine."

Kira only nodded numbly as the women took action.

It wasn't long before Garcia and Collin showed up with a tow truck. They whistled low and then looked at the women.

"You senoritas okay? This looks vicious."

Kira hadn't said a word. Kimberly looked back at Garcia. "This car was Brice's gift to his daughter. I think she's in shock." Just as she said this, a red mustang pulled up just barely keeping to the 15 MPH speed limit. It stopped right in front of them and Connor jumped out, not even paying attention to the others that were around them. Just behind him was _**The Carlita.**_

Kira nearly jumped out of her skin when his arms wrapped around her. What had happened was a shock to her system, and his sudden appearance didn't help much. When she tried to pull away, he only held her closer.

"It's me, Rockstar. I'm here now."

She held him closer to her then and deeply inhaled his scent. She did this as he gently kissed the top of her head.

"Take a deep breath Kira."

He waited for her to obey, and then slowly coaxed more deep breaths out of her. She still didn't look up at him, but that didn't matter to him. He looked over at Tommy who was speaking to the guys. "Dr. O, I'm taking her home now."

Kira shook her head.

Connor looked down at her in confusion. "Rockstar?"

She pushed away from him. "No. I'm not gonna let that Assjockey ruin the day for me, us. I'm so sick of him pulling shit like this. It's a scare tactic, and I for one am not gonna let him or whoever it is screw with my head anymore."

Connor looked down at her with a grin. "That's my girl."

Tommy signed a paper that Garcia was handing him before he walked over to them.

"It's your car that was vandalized. How do you want to handle this?"

"You had plans to go to dinner right?"

Tommy nodded slowly.

Kira looked up at Connor. "We can get new tires right?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah, it won't take long."

"I've told your dad what happened." Tommy interjected. "He's already got Garcia and his brother on it, obviously. They'll tow it to their garage and it'll be good as new by tomorrow night at the latest."

"Good, then we go on as if nothing happened. I still wouldn't mind going to dinner. And I want to meet your brother and the guest he brought with him."

Connor chuckled and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Eric brought his son along. They're waiting at the house for us." He looked up at their mentor. "I'm all for dinner, I say we go back to the house, let the girls freshen up and get some chow."

Tommy nodded in approval. "Sounds like a plan. We'll need to discuss a plan of action at some point. I doubt this will just be an isolated incident, but that can wait."

He squeezed their shoulders in support and then walked back to his wife. Connor gently took Kira's hand and led her to his mustang. He kissed her again and then hoisted her up so she was sitting on the trunk of the car. Then he wrapped her in his arms. "You have no idea how much you rock my world."

Kira looked into his eyes. "I think it's the other way around. Just the thought of you...what we did last night was enough to get me worked up this morning. And we haven't even passed home plate yet."

Connor's eyes darkened. "Oh Kira, you shouldn't have told me that.

Kira looked down to see a little tent forming in his pants. "I'm sorry Jock. Maybe we can take care of that once we're back in our room."

Connor shook his head. "We shouldn't. I don't want to present any temptation. We've got to keep a handle on this."

Kira chuckled. "I'm sorry, I really need to watch my mouth."

Connor's eyes darkened even more. He kissed her again and then before he could move, she turned herself around and climbed over the seat and sat down on the passenger side. He stiffly slid into his own seat and turned the car on. Neither of them said a word till they got back to the manor.

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><p>When they got to the house, Connor stopped in front of the house and waited for Kira to hop out before he drove the car into the garage. He pulled up to his designated spot, turned the car off and then rested his head on the backseat.<p>

He looked around the garage and noticed with relief that he was all alone.

_Damn, he couldn't wait to be married. Then he wouldn't have to resort to what he was about to do anymore._

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><p>Kira meanwhile was in her room putting her purchases away. She smiled to herself as she looked once more at the sets she had bought. She couldn't help but grin conceitedly at how easily she'd turned him on. To know how much he desired her was such an ego boost. That just a few words could make him hard as steel...she paused and groaned.<p>

Talk about a backfire.

With a groan, Kira picked up her toiletries bag and headed to the shower again. This time she grabbed a set of the new underwear she bought on her way out.

The shower was wonderful and it helped her regain her senses. Mindful that there were extra guests in the house, she toweled off and slipped into her newest purchases, put her clothes back on and went back to their room.

Connor was already in the room when she walked back in. He could barely look at her as he grabbed his own bag and walked out of the room to take his own shower. Kira only shook her head and proceeded to drop her toiletries off and head down the stairs.

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><p>Eric was standing in the blue kiddie bathroom with his son sitting on the counter by the sink.<p>

Upon arriving at the house, Tommy had shown them to the second floor. Since neither Fabian nor Alex were staying there, the dino room had been offered to them. Kailen was given his choice of course, but the sight of the Dino-skeletons had immediately grabbed his interest. Since there was only a kid's bed in the room and Eric didn't feel comfortable leaving his son alone, Tommy told him they had a few spare air mattresses that could easily be brought down for him.

Now that they'd both changed into fresh clothes, Eric was gently brushing his son's hair. It was a little longer than most boys, coming down to just past his shoulders, so it was easy for his hair to get tangled, not to mention that his son hadn't quite gotten the hang of using a brush yet. He pulled it too hard and caused himself unnecessary pain, so after a brief demonstration by Tori, he'd taken over his son's grooming.

"There now, was that so bad?" he asked as he secured his son's pony tail in a black hair tie. His son only hugged him tighter. Eric grinned and kissed the top of his son's head. "Are we ready to go meet everyone?"

"Dad, what if they don't like me?"

"What if they do?" Eric countered.

"I'm different dad!"

"And that's exactly why they'll love you. Now come on, I'll hold your hand the entire time."

That was enough for his son and so with his father's assistance, he hopped down to the floor, turned and froze. A strange lady was watching him.

"Dad?"

Eric turned and smiled at the stranger. "Hey, are you Kira?"

"Yep, that's me. Connor's just finishing up in the shower. He told me you had a son." Saying this she got down to Kailen's level. "Hey there, I'm Kira."

The boy looked up at his father, who was looking at him encouragingly. He looked back at Kira took a deep breath and then held his hand out to the lady...Kira. "Hi, I'm Kailen." he immediately felt at ease when she gently shook his hand.

"I don't see why anyone wouldn't like you. You're really cute."

Kailen couldn't help but blush. He stepped back behind his dad who chuckled. "He's still a little shy with everyone. We're working on it."

Kira grinned down at the little boy. "Well, I think you've made an excellent start. The kids should be home already. They get pretty rowdy sometimes." Saying nothing more, she smiled again and headed for the stairs, Eric and Kailen following moments later.

As promised, Autumn and Kyle were sitting at the table with Kayla sitting on the counter. The guys were leaning against the counter.

"No dad, nothing bad happened. The goths were keeping an eye on everything. Leif and Sapphire were with us all through lunch. I promise, we're both fine."

Tommy nodded. "I'm happy to hear that. Your dads and I have discussed this. We'd like you to take some extra time in the dojo when we get back. Kira's car was vandalized today, and whoever it was is upping their game. I'm not saying that anything bad will happen to you, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Okay?"

Both kid's nodded. "Battle Royale?" Kyle asked.

Tommy looked at Adam and Rocky. "What do you guys think? I've got no problem with that but to keep it fair we should see if we can find some female for them to battle.

"Sign me up." Kira said, making herself known. "I wouldn't mind a good workout."

Tommy nodded in acceptance. "Aisha? Tanya?"

They both smiled. "We're in."

With the matter settled, they now turned to the newest guests.

David grinned at them, "This is my son Eric and grandson Kailen. They came in today from Blue Bay Harbor."

Everyone turned to look at them, but Kayla was the first to wave at them. "Hi, I'm Kayla."

Kailen peeked out from behind his dad and looked at his new cousin. "H...hi."

After brief introductions were made, they all headed out to dinner.

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><p><strong>So, how did you like this newest chapter? Leave me a review, okay?<strong>

**See you all next chapter!**


	14. Shinannigan's

**So here we go again. The restaurant is all made up, just some more fun after the drama of the last chapter. Along with some lighthearted fun, there are more clues to Kailen's background and how he came to be. That is all for now, so go on now and enjoy! For anyone worrying, we will be getting back to Connor and Kira very soon as well as Kyle and Autumn.**

**Special thanks go to Mertmidnightangel for her red pen. **

**Now, Onward and leave me a review when you're done! **

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><p>"Shananagins?" Eric asked looking up at the neon sign.<p>

Rocky nodded. "Yep, this is an awesome restaurant. We don't come here very often, but after the week we've had, I figured we could use a good meal with a light and happy atmosphere. Plus, the kids love it."

Saying this he walked towards the door and held it opened for the ladies. As they did, Eric felt his son's hands gripping his pant leg tightly. He looked down. "This looks like fun doesn't it?" When Kailen didn't respond, he reached down picked his son up and settled him on his hip. He sighed softly when the boy buried his head into his shoulder. He kissed his son's hair and then walked through the door.

Where the outside sported a wrap around deck, complete with a front porch swing and several authentic rocking chairs, the inside was a bit different than one would expect. The lobby looked like a continuation of the outside deck with a very old time country-esque feel to it, like when you went to grandma's. There was a beautiful fireplace with a finely polished wood hearth that sported more than a few pictures. On closer inspection several of them were candid shots with one or more of their ranger comrades. Eric took a closer look...was that the red and yellow space rangers?

Kim chuckled behind him. "There's a long story behind that picture."

Eric turned around to see his...aunt grinning at him. "I thought the rangers were supposed to keep themselves separate from the civilians."

The former pink ranger cocked her head to the side as she stepped a little closer to her new nephew. "I don't think there is a protocol for Power Rangers. This is the town where it all began. The civilians have embraced us. They don't know our identity as it is, and Ernie is the only one that ever figured out who we were. The grandparents of the current owners were very close to him and owned this restaurant for as long as I remember. When Ernie left for the Peace Corps, he asked us to look after them.

Around the time that Zordon died, a big corporation was eying this place and was starting to pressure them to sell their restaurant. The couple was defiant and turned them down every time. This place is their livelihood. I have a feeling that we're dealing with the same people as the ones who tried to shut down this restaurant. Anyway, the big guys in charge of the corporation kept on the pressure and they almost won, if not for the Power Rangers."

Eric smiled. "They never stop being heroes, do they?"

Kimberly shook her head. "We couldn't. We made a promise to Ernie, and I for one refused to give up, so we bent the rules a bit. Rocky was the mastermind of this one, but Andros was our spokesperson. He didn't lose his power after Dark Specter was defeated. So he showed up in uniform to the owners and proposed a deal. It was in the papers and everything. The owner's family banded together and shut down the restaurant for a month to make renovations. The daughter and her husband supported their parents during the down time, and then the yellow space ranger came in and had a talk with Rosemary, the grandma, with a list of recipes, that were favorites of both us and the other teams till then. Once the renovations were complete, they held a grand reopening. The press was here for it all and imagine the buzz when the actual rangers showed up with different artifacts of the ranger teams and set them on display in the 'hall of heroes'. Andros made a public vow of protection over this restaurant and no one's bothered them since. The grandkids work here now. This is still a family business, but with ranger endorsement, they're flourishing."

In a softer voice she added, "It's nice to know that our sacrifices weren't in vain."

Eric didn't know what to say to that, so he stayed quiet as his son stared at the pictures. The moment passed then as they were greeted by their hostess. She looked to be in her early 40's with bright brown eyes and with the look of confidence and strength she sported, she couldn't be anyone else but the mother. Her name tag read: Elizabeth

"Welcome back to Shananagins, Mr. DeSantos. I see you brought your entourage!"

Rocky grinned. "Yes, I did. We're having a small celebration, is the party room open?"

The woman grinned. "Of course, what are we celebrating?"

"We've found two new family members that we didn't know we had. They've just come in from Blue Bay Harbor."

Elizabeth grinned at Eric and his son. "Welcome to Angel Grove. I'll get the kids; they're in charge of the party room.

She picked up her walkie talkie. "Jamie, Andrea, you've got guests!"

They only had to wait a minute before a pair of twins rolled up. They were both around 13 years old and they were obviously fraternal twins. Eric looked down to see they were both wearing wheelies that lit up, but what really made him grin was that they were both sporting tee-shirts with the Wonder Twins on them with long sleeve shirts underneath and basic blue jeans. The girl had her hair pulled up in a messy bun and the boy wore a backwards baseball cap.

"Hey guys! Come on back and let's get this party started!" Jamie said with a huge grin.

Kailen looked at them in curiosity and that was the moment that the girl looked over at him. She grinned. "Hey Cutie, you hungry?"

The boy nodded shyly as Eric put him down. He looked like he wanted to speak to the girl but he tried to hide behind his dad's leg again. Kayla walked over to him. "It's okay Kailen, they're our friends and they're super cool! We're going to have loads of fun tonight! Wanna come with me?"

Kailen looked up at his dad, who nodded at him. "Go on, I promise I won't be far. We're supposed to have fun tonight!"

Kayla held out her hand and Kailen took a deep breath and let her lead him towards the party room.

The party room was just as its name described. It looked like it had been decorated by their hosts to look like an alien landscape, but there were life like replicas of both the original Megazord and the Dragonzord...and yes, the Tigerzord was with them. Overhead were cool neon lights and a giant TV screen.

Once they had all been seated at the biggest table, Jamie, the boy, walked over to the wall where the Dragonzord proudly stood and touched the screen that was embedded on the shield and immediately the flute was heard. Connor looked over at Dr. O and raised an eyebrow at his uncle who was now smirking and looking way too proud.

Kim only shook her head as the boy typed in a command code and then pulled out two medium sized screens. He rolled back to his sister and handed her one of them. They grinned at each other and bumped fists and then split up. The girl, Andrea took care of the adults while Jamie pulled up a stool and talked with the kids, taking their orders.

Kailen looked kind of uncomfortable as the boy turned to him. "Ok Buddy it's your turn, what do you wanna eat tonight?"

Hey pushed a button on the screen and then presented the screen to him. It had several different kinds of food options and then he waited patiently and explained each dish to him. Finally he touched the hamburger option and then asked, "Can I have lettuce and tomato on it?"

Jamie nodded. "Yep, your wish is my command. What do you like to drink? We serve chocolate milk all day long...or would you like a soda?"

He tapped the screen again, logging in the food orders and then showed him the drink options. Kailen's eyes widened, he'd never had so many options before! He looked at Kayla. "What do you like to drink?"

She grinned and pointed to the different types of lemonade. "I like Soda, but these always make the food go down easier. They've got raspberry lemonade, strawberry lemonade and regular lemonade, and then they have capri-sun too."

Kailen looked at the capri-sun. He'd had those loads of times. He wanted something different tonight. "I'd like some chocolate milk."

Jamie nodded. "Sounds good Dude, I'll go get these orders in." He looked at his sister who was just finishing up with the adults and linked up his screen with the computer, the lights on the shield blinking a few times then going silent again. He put the screen back and then walked, or rather rolled to the back of the room to get the drinks. The party room had its own drink station, to make their job easier. In the rare occurrence that an adult ordered anything alcoholic, they put the drink order into the system to be handled by their parents.

Andrea took the last of the adult's orders and then locked them into the computer; it would sound again when the orders were ready. She and her brother ruled over this room and so were responsible for everything that went on. Every Saturday, they went over the room and cleaned everything top to bottom as well as running a diagnostic on the system and checking every special effect to make sure everything was in perfect working order. They put their best into it and as a result, they got to keep any tips they made (which were usually split between them). They were more than thrilled to have a domain all their own. After that was done, she joined her brother.

Only a minute passed before they wheeled over a small cart with the selected drinks on it. They'd tried balancing trays like their parents in the past, but they found that the coordination just wasn't there. This way was much easier. After the drinks were handed out, they settled with the kids and kept them company while the food was prepared.

Connor settled back next to his brother. "I'm thinking we should hang out and catch up. Go to the beach and kick the soccer ball around."

Eric looked skeptical. "Are you sure you want to do that? I don't want keep you from your fiancée."

"I don't have a problem with that," Kira said. "The ladies and I were planning a spa day tomorrow, after the meeting with the wedding planner. Maybe we could have lunch and then you two can go have some male bonding time."

"Only if you're sure about it."

Kira only grinned. "Yeah, go for it!"

Connor grinned at his love and kissed her cheek. "I love you."

Erik looked away and towards his son, who was engrossed with a very lively conversation. Kailen was listening intently and jumped when a loud sound was heard in the room. Accidentally knocking his cup over, he panicked and put his hand out really fast, making the class freeze in place and then settle back on the table with only a few drops spilled. All the kids stopped to look at him. He blushed deep red and then all but ran to his daddy's side. Eric had seen what had happened, and sighed.

"I'm sorry Daddy; I didn't mean to do it!"

Eric shushed his son, while combing his hair with his fingers. "We're in safe company; accidents happen, buddy." His son nodded and buried his head in his father's shoulder. Eric looked up at David and Tommy. "I guess the cat's out of the bag."

Tommy nodded. "Yep, I guess it's time to contact Andros."

Eric shook his head. "I don't want to discuss it while he's awake, Kailen is really sensitive about...that."

David only nodded. "Yes, we'll discuss it tonight."

"Is he okay?" asked Andrea. "I can get him more chocolate milk."

Eric nodded. "Yes, please."

Connor looked at the young man, "You didn't just see anything odd did you?"

Jamie shrugged. "Yeah, he's a pretty awesome kid to be able to do something like that. I envy his coolness. But this is our domain, and we won't say a word."

Connor sighed in relief and then looked at his brother, whose attention was solely focused on his son. "Yeah, he's amazing."

"Cool, okay, so that was our alert that the food's done. We'll just get your food and then be right back!"

With that, Jamie walked out of the room, Andrea following behind after getting the new cup of chocolate milk.

Minutes passed and then the twins returned with their food, this time on a special cart with plate warmers on it. Working together, they worked their way down the table, making sure they got the right plate to the right guest.

When she got to Kailen's plate, Andrea looked up at him as he was watching her pass out the food. "Do you want to eat with your dad or with the other kids?"

Once again, the boy looked unsure. This time, Kyle stood up. "Come sit with us Kailen, we're way more fun than they are!"

Rocky only shook his head at his son's statement. "When did I become so uncool!?"

Adam smirked. "When your son turned 12. It happens to everyone."

Eric kissed his son's hair. "See? I told you they'd love you! See how popular you are already!"

Kailen only nodded, kissed his dad's cheek and then let his daddy lower him to the floor. He looked at his feet and allowed Kyle to help him back into his seat. At first he picked at his food, then he looked at Kyle who was stuffing fries into his mouth and he burst out laughing.

Autumn shook her head as he managed to swallow the fries and gave him his soda. After that, Kailen smiled when he ate, the momentary drama forgotten. His plate was empty in no time. When they'd finished their meal and after paying their bill, with some generous tips to their young servers, they all loaded into their various cars and trucks and headed home.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, Eric descended the stairs. His son and the other kids were camped out (literally) on the floor in front of the big screen TV. They'd pulled out every blanket from both linen closets and had them spread out with dozens and dozens of pillows everywhere.<p>

Autumn had put in a movie, which he noticed was The Lion King and now all the kids were engrossed with it. He hadn't wanted to leave, but Kyle promised him that if there was any problem, he's used the house's intercom and let him know.

The sparring match had been postponed till the next morning, so that all the kids could get some rest. The adults never went easy on them, especially since the trouble at school started, but still any sleep they could get would be a good thing.

Now, Eric walked down the main floor to see Tommy and Conner waiting for him. "I told Andros earlier that we would be calling him," Tommy said as he approached. "We've got the link set up; we're just waiting for you."

Eric nodded.

"You're among friends here, Eric. We're all Power Rangers after all; we've lived through pretty strange things ourselves."

Without another word said, they walked down to the basement of the manor. He followed his uncle passed the home theater room and to a backroom. He typed in a code on the keypad in the wall and after a beep, he opened the door and walked in.

Once the door was shut, Billy typed a code into the computer and another beep sounded. "There, now the room is locked down. No one will be able to hear anything that is said."

Tommy nodded. "Good. Patch us through."

Billy tapped a few keys and then hit a big green button. Moments later, Andros appeared on the big screen. The former red space ranger looked a little older. He was about 35 years old now and his brown hair was starting to blend in more with his blonde streaks. He still looked strong and wise, every bit the red ranger he had been. Tonight he wore a red button down shirt with the first few buttons undone. Underneath he wore a white tank top. He also wore his hair up in a hair tie.

"Hey Tommy, Long time no see."

Tommy grinned. "Yep, it's been way too long. I wish this was under more pleasant circumstances."

"Come on Tommy. Once a ranger, always a ranger. I'd be very shocked if we weren't meeting under the threat of a war or some other kind of drama."

"Very true."

"So, what can I help you with?"

Tommy gestured to Eric. "This is my nephew, Eric McKnight. I knew of him but I didn't realize he was David's son. It turns out that he has a son that apparently is not completely human. Tonight at dinner, he accidentally spilled his drink, and then he suddenly moved his hand and the cup froze mid-fall, and then moved back up to the table.

"So he's telekinetic." Andros mused. "Very strange. Beside myself, Zane and Karone, there haven't been any settlers from K0-35. I'm just an ambassador to Earth; everyone else has been busy re-establishing the colonies. The war did a number on my home planet." Andros paused and gestured to something on his desk and suddenly a small space toy was floating in front of him. "You see, I'm telekinetic myself." He looked at Eric. "Has your son displayed any other abilities?"

"It's a long story, but I barely remember his conception," Eric replied. "I didn't even know he existed until two years ago. He's only 3 but he acts like a mini adult. He eats loads of vegetables, more than I've ever known a kid to eat. He's obsessed with being perfect, though I never told him he had to be. In fact, I've been trying to encourage him to act his age, but it's like he's scared of disappointing me, even though I couldn't be any prouder of him."

Andros was listening quietly. "Okay, so what do you remember of his conception? Do you have any memory of who you slept with? Don't leave anything out."

Eric thought for a moment, "Yeah, it's a very vague memory. But I remember going out to a teen club near Blue Bay Harbor about a year before I sighed up for the Ninja School. They don't sell alcohol there but somehow I ended up drunk. I was just hanging out by myself with some friends I'd met. They were already a couple so I let them go off by themselves. Then this really beautiful girl approached me. Platinum blonde, shoulder length hair. Oh and she had a few strands that were a different color, I wanna say gold or silver colored. She wore a backless shirt that was really shiny and a really short skirt. I could all but see her underwear...I think she was wearing some kind of thong. She was really beautiful and sexy, my dream girl. She offered me a drink that tasted like 7-up, but with a really sweet after taste. I drank the whole bottle in less than 10 minutes. I don't remember a whole lot after that, other than it was amazing sex. At least I think it was. I had been a virgin until that night. I woke up not even realizing what had happened at first. I was in a nice hotel room that had already been paid for. I thought I'd had a wet dream of some kind initially. I'd had some very vivid dreams about sex, so I expected to find a mess, but I was completely clean. I got up after that and examined myself for any kind of scratches, but nothing. So I took a shower, put my clothes on and left the hotel. I didn't think on it anymore, and the next year I entered Ninja School. "

Andros was quiet for a moment as he processed the story. Then he looked up at them again. "Ok, so what happened when you found your son? How did you find him?"

Eric sighed. "This is the part I couldn't talk about with Kailen around. That bitch was terrible to him."

"Go on."

"It was a year later, and I had just finished my first month of training. I still don't know how she found out where I lived. But one morning, when I had gone out jogging, she found me. She was really pissed at me. She accused me of screwing her over, which is ironic since she was the one who got me drunk and then screwed me in the first place. For some reason, she accused me of impersonating a power ranger, of playing her for a fool. I told her I had no idea who the Power Rangers were. She then asked me if I had a twin, and I told her I did, but that I doubted he'd ever seen the Power Rangers either. She smacked me then and stomped away, but returned with Kailen. She shoved him towards me and told me to take care of my son myself. I asked her why she didn't want him, and she told me that he didn't fit her needs, which got me pissed off, and then she kicked me in the crotch and stomped away. I never saw her again."

Andros nodded again. "I see. And how did he behave after she left?"

"That's the painful part. He was sad and barely looked at me. I took him to get something to eat and bought him some clothes and some toys, and then snuck him into the academy. It took me a week to get him to talk to me, but he was always next to me, and he insisted on fetching everything I needed. He acted like a servant. I tried to convince him that he didn't need to, but he said he had to...in order to earn his keep. I got down to his level and looked into his eyes. That moment changed everything for me. I felt something inside me change. I can't explain it, but it's like a light switch flipped on, and I've been more than just the sperm donor. Kailen holds every space of my heart now. I love him very much, and I can't be apart from him. Anyway, after that he told me everything, that she had told him that he wasn't any good to him without ranger powers. That she needed a special kind of son, and it wasn't him. My son has had an inferiority complex ever since then. I don't know how to reverse the damage she did to him. I'd love to take that bitch down for hurting him this way."

Andros sighed and took a sip from a can that they hadn't even known was there.

"So, what do you think, Andros?" asked Tommy.

"I have some suspicions, but I'm not gonna say anything till I have more information. But I'll get back to you on Monday to tell you what I've found out. In the meantime, I'm going to send a specialist to you, to do some preliminary tests and determine how strong his ability is as well as do a DNA test on him. Also, if my suspicion is correct, then I would advise you to not restrict his veggie intake...if I'm right, then the amount of veggies he consumes is directly connected to how powerful his telekinesis is."

Eric nodded. "Okay, thanks for letting me know."

Andros nodded. "Happy to help, I'll contact you when I know more about the female that took advantage of you."

When the link was cut off, Connor turned to his twin. There were no words harsh enough to describe his twin's rapist or soft enough to give comfort, so they only hugged and then went their separate ways.

* * *

><p>Minutes later, Eric looked down at his son who had fallen asleep. He didn't want to leave his side, so once he pulled on some sleep pants and a tank top he pulled the blanket and pillow off the bed in the room and made himself comfortable on the couch. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.<p>

Sometime around 2AM he was woken by his son who didn't say anything, but climbed on his stomach and fell asleep. He could only smile as he readjusted the blankets and returned to dreamland.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think now? Leave a nice review! And I'll see you guys next chapter!<strong>


	15. Just Another Sunday

**Hey everyone, I'm back with another chapter, there are just a few things to go over here.**

**Thanks goes to Mertmidnightangel for her awesome Beta skills and for helping me talk things through.**

**And also credit goes to fanficrulez for helping me Role Play the confrotation at the end of the chapter. We haven't written anything since Watch Me Shine and it was cool to have his help again.**

**With that said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave me a review at the end of the chapter.**

**Sadly, Power Rangers don't belong to me, just to Saban (though I'm not longer a fan of the complany anymore.)**

**Now, onward and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>It was just before dawn, the next day when two figures walked hand in hand out the back door headed for the gardens. It had become a daily thing for Eric and his son to greet the dawn every day, his need for stability having already been established with the chaos going on, so they had come up with this routine. No matter what the day would hold for them, they always started the day this way.<p>

The sun was just starting to make an appearance over the horizon as they found themselves in the midst of the rose garden; Eric spread out the medium sized quilt, and sat down on it, crossing his legs. His son then sat in his lap, and together they closed their eyes and Eric took a deep breath and let it out slowly. A moment later his son copied him.

Another deep breath was taken, and his son did the same, when the next breath was taken they were perfectly in sync. This went on for several more moments until they were in a very calm state. Then Eric opened his eyes and pulled out a big marble. He held it in front of them and waited for his son to notice it. When he did, the ball slowly lifted out of his hand and floated in front of him.

It was a minute before his son spoke and when he did, it was in a language never heard on earth before.

"Dad, I'm sorry for what happened last night. I know I shouldn't have let the others see my magic trick."

Neither of them ever took their eyes off the ball.

Eric grimaced. "You're in a safe place here, son. No one was shocked last night."

"Why? Don't they think I'm a freak?"

"What did I say about that? You've never been a freak. Ever."

"I'm different dad."

Eric sighed and rested his chin on his son's head. "Your're not as strange as you think. I had a meeting last night with your uncle and the others. You aren't the only one that can make things float."

Kailen looked up sharply, and the second he looked away the marble fell. Eric reached out and caught it smoothly.

"Huh?"

"You heard me. I know that she didn't tell you anything about yourself, cruel person that she is, but your ability is called Telekinesis...and it's a trait of one of the early red power rangers. He came from a planet called KO-35. He's going to do some research and send in a specialist to help us."

Kailen was very quiet as Eric held out the marble again. A moment passed before it floated again.

"There is something else, Kailen. Andros, the guy I talked to, told me that eating lots of greens will help your abilities, so, I'm not going to stop you anymore. As long as you balance it with other things, like meat and dairy, then I won't make you eat anything you don't want to."

Kailen nodded. "But Dad, I don't want to make you sad anymore."

Eric carded his fingers through his son's hair. "As long as you're happy, then I'm happy."

"I love you Dad."

"I love you too Son. Forever"

Just then they both heard the sound of someone approaching. The marble was caught again as David appeared in the garden.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. Is it okay if I approach?"

Eric kissed his son's head again. "Yeah, we're done. We've made it a habit to greet the dawn together. It helps set the tempo for the day." He was back to speaking English again.

David grinned at them.

"I go back tonight after dinner. I just wanted to take some time to visit with you two. I tried to get Connor up, but it seems that he's a heavy sleeper, much like me when I was younger." Saying this he sat down in front of them with his back to the water fall.

"That's an odd language I heard you using. Don't think I've ever heard it before."

Eric held his son close. "When he was given to me, it's the only language he spoke, it took me a while to figure it out for myself. But it's something special we share. I'm hoping this specialist Andros is sending can help us out."

David looked his grandson, who still didn't seem to be at ease around him. "Can I ask what you guys were talking about?"

Eric kissed his son's head and shrugged. "His diet has been a subject that we couldn't agree on before now, but now with what Andros told me, I'm more willing to let him choose what he wants to eat. Eating his greens apparently helps him to control his telekinesis somehow."

David smiled at Kailen. "Can you show me?"

* * *

><p><em>He could hear Autumn screaming...<em>

_Blood, there was blood everywhere. His heart was breaking...Autumn lay on the floor...and there was so much blood._

_Autumn held his hand tight as he leaned over her. "You're gonna be okay, I promise. Mom and Dad will get here...don't leave me."_

_But the eyes of his girlfriend merely glazed over...and she was so still..._

Kyle immediately sat up, panting hard. His whole body shook as he tried to fight off the after effects of the nightmare. He rubbed his eyes and then looked around for Autumn. He felt immediate relief when he saw her still slumbering peacefully.

There wasn't any blood anywhere. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm and just to reassure himself, he felt her wrist. She had a pulse...she was alive.

It was just a dream. Scary as hell, but only a dream. Still, he wasn't at peace. Not even caring how it would look if they were caught. He dragged her sleeping bag closer to his and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him.

For a moment, he lay with her in the darkness. No matter what, she would never be left alone. He would keep her safe for every waking moment of the rest of their lives.

"Kyle, is everything okay?" Came Autumn's soft voice.

"Can't let anything happen to you...can't lose you."

Completely confused, Autumn turned over in her sleeping bag to face her boyfriend. "What's wrong Kyle? I'm not going anywhere. Did you have a nightmare?"

Kyle nodded. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. I'll keep you safe."

Autumn narrowed her eyes. "It's gonna be okay, no matter what happens. We're the kids of power rangers, and our parents trained us really well. Anyone who attacks us won't stand a chance. We'll beat them down to a pulp. They won't know what hit them."

Kyle took her hand in his. "You can't go anywhere alone. Promise me, you'll have someone with you wherever you go. There's always a chance that someone could sneak up on you."

"Over my dead body."

Please don't say that."

Autumn looked at her boyfriend closer and then planted a chaste kiss on his lip. "I promise, now, how about we go get dressed and then head for the dojo. Maybe sparring would be a good way to take care of your jitters."

Kyle looked into her eyes and then kissed her back...only to hear someone clearing their throat. As if burned, they broke apart and looked up to see an amused Rocky standing over them.

"D...dad?"

"That's right, junior. You should be glad it's not Adam. Now come on, we're almost ready to head down for morning exercises. I've left a couple granola bars on the kitchen island. Don't drag your butts...if you're not dressed and down in the dojo in twenty minutes, it'll be Adam who comes after you."

Without even a word of protest, Autumn was up and in her room in a flash.

Kyle closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As if sensing something was wrong, Rocky knelt in front of his son and touched his forehead. "You don't get night-sweats, you okay son?"

"Just a nightmare, Dad. I'm fine."

"I don't buy that Kyle. "With our background, I wouldn't dare sweep anything under the rug. Can you tell me about the dream?"

"Dad, there was so much blood and I felt like I was burning...and Autumn...she was so pale. She wasn't breathing! I couldn't find a pulse either..she died!"

Kyle started to hyperventilate. "Dad, we can't go back to school! I can't protect Autumn since they separated us!"

Rocky frowned. This couldn't be good. He studied his boy closely. "Son, I need you to close your eyes and take a deep breath. When his son obeyed, he continued. "Take another deep breath." This time his son seemed a bit calmer. "Now, find your calm place."

A moment passed and his son seemed to relax more. When Rocky saw this, he continued. "Nothing is predictable, that is why we prepare. I want you to know that no matter what happens, you won't be alone. None of us are too far away. Uncle Billy built communicators for you. Should anything at all happen, all you have to do is push the big green button and we'll be there in a flash. You are a strong warrior and I've taught you well. If you stay focused and pay attention to your surroundings, then no one can get a drop on you."

"But dad, what about Autumn? I can't protect her!"

"Shh...shhh. slow down Son. The same goes for Autumn. She's been trained just like you. She can definitely handle herself. Now, you should go get ready for the work out. The fresh morning air should help you center yourself."

Kyle only nodded and then out of nowhere, hugged his dad fiercely. The force of his son's hug nearly knocked the former red ranger onto his back, but he was more than ready for it and hugged his son back. When the moment of bonding was done, Kyle got up and walked towards his room.

Rocky waited for the door to close and then got back up and headed for the garden. Aisha was already waiting for him there.

"Is everything okay Rocky? You said you were just going to wake the kids up. But that was 5 minutes ago."

"He had a nightmare that shook him up a bit, so I put him through a breathing exercise. He still seemed off balance, but I have every confidence that he'll get through it."

Aisha only nodded. Her mothering instinct wasn't very settled, but she took another deep breath and relaxed against her husband.

* * *

><p>Some hours later<p>

Just before lunchtime

Bryce was beyond angry as he pulled up to the mansion. Both Psyche and Mischief whined up in confusion at him. They knew he wasn't the enemy, but his anger bothered them alot. They both got up and greeted him but in his anger he only brushed passed them and seeing that no one was in the house, walked through to the garden...and that's when he heard it, grunting, shouts and thuds.

This made him stop and pause. The door to the dojo was open and he heard another thud and a laugh. It became obvious that there was a practice going on. He peered inside the door and saw that Rocky had just pinned Adam to the floor.

"Is it just me Frog boy, or have you gotten soft in your old age? You used to be able to fend off a whole troop of putties and now you practically roll over and let me beat you? What's that teaching your daughter?"

"Dream on Ape boy, I could take on Goldar, the putty patrol, and I even fought off a monster with a broken morpher! Could you do something like that?"

He watched Adam shove Rocky hard and then roll over. Rocky smirked at his friend. "So I heard...but I also heard that Carlos, a younger ranger had to save your butt! What's that say about a veteran ranger?"

"That I chose my replacement perfectly. He lived up to his mantle and he's a damn good Power Ranger!"

Brice gasped hearing this! He looked around at once realizing who he was dealing with...then his eyes landed on Connor...and he was once again enraged.

Connor was laughing along at something David said when he was grabbed roughly by the back of the shirt and tossed roughly against the wall.

"Where were you when my daughter was attacked? You're a power ranger and you couldn't keep her safe? You were supposed to keep her safe!"

Connor had to think quickly. "Me? A Power Ranger? And what do you mean I couldn't keep her safe?"

"Yeah, I heard all of that. My daughter's car was vandalized, what's to keep her from being attacked next time! If you can't keep her safe, then I refuse to give her to you!"

That last comment sucked the cool out of Connor. He growled and put all his strength into it as he grabbed Bryce's wrist and squeezed hard. With a gasp, Bryce let go and backed away.

"She was a freaking Power Ranger! She's my first priority but even without me, she can take care of herself! You're freaking insane if you think one puny vandal could take her out!" Connor sucked in a breath and paused realizing what he just said. "Shit."

Bryce's eyes went wide. "She what? You mean to tell me that my baby girl was a Power Ranger?"

Kira was standing at her fiancé's side by then and she now stepped between them. "Yes Dad, I was a power ranger, and I trust Connor with my life. Those stupid vandals would be no match for me. Had I caught them, they'd be in the ICU right now."

Connor pulled Kira to him and wrapped an arm around her and immediately felt calmer. "Kira will always be my first priority. If you've ever paid attention to the Power Rangers before now, you'd see that the red ranger always looked out for his team, especially the yellow ranger. She sure doesn't need my help. She can handle anything, whether it's vandals or 80 foot monsters."

Bryce was speechless as he looked around the room seeing all the other adults warily watching him. That's when everything clicked. "You're all rangers?"

Tommy gave Connor an exasperated look. He walked up then with Ethan and Melanie behind him. "Yeah, it's true. The majority of us were rangers. I mentored the last team and I'm one myself. I taught Kira to fight myself, she's got mad skills. Connor's telling the truth."

Tanya looked over at her daughter who was holding on to Kyle. Then with a deep breath she walked over to the newcomer. "We'd never go out alone, it's an unwritten rule. With the exception of the kids, David and Melanie, we were all rangers at one time or another, so we never go anywhere alone. Too much could happen by chance, at least for us. Yesterday, it was Kira and I doing some shopping for her wedding. She was never in danger."

Bryce looked at Tanya and felt at a loss. "I'm never gonna get used to being around all of you..."

"On and off the battlefield we are a family. I must ask you to keep all of this quiet. There are very few civilians that know what we are."

Bryce could only nod as he looked around him and then focused on the kids at the mat who were now returning to the sparring match. Rocky and Adam were assuming their positions opposite the kids, the other rangers in the room were all in their work out gear, and they also began to take their places. By the time that Tanya took her spot, the kids were surrounded.

"What's this? It's a bit extreme for just a simple workout."

Tommy shook his head. He was the only one besides Kira and Connor that weren't surrounding the kids.

"We're preparing them for the possibility of being ganged up on. None of us trust the school to keep them safe from bullies. They're already in top form, but this little Battle Royale will improve their skills. It's also testing their endurance and speed. We have to make sure they're ready for anything."

Bryce looked at Tommy then. "What don't I know about the situation? It's more then vandalism at work, isn't it?"

Tommy nodded. "We think so. We don't know what exactly is going on, so we're preparing for everything. That's one lesson we've learned over the years."

Bryce smirked. "You have Spidy senses?"

Tommy laughed. "More like Wifey Senses. Kim's rarely wrong."

Connor snickered at that and the older man regarded his nephew. "Kira wasn't a ranger for long, but if you're smart, you'll learn to pay attention to her instincts too."

"Oh I know, Dr. O, but Wifey senses?"

It was Tommy's turn to laugh. "Yeah, Wifey Senses. She's gotten really good at crawling on things; she'd make one bad ass Spiderwoman."

"Ahhh! TMI! TMI, Dr. O! T. M. I!" Connor shouted covering his ears and cringed. "So didn't want to know that!"

Tommy only smirked and clapped his nephew on the back. "And pretty soon, you'll be just as bad!"

At that statement, Bryce looked sick...and Kira blushed.

Instantly, both rangers realized what was just said, and Tommy had to work fast to recover. "Oh crap, Bryce. I'm so sorry for saying that...umm...Hey, the match is beginning, wanna watch the fun?"

"Uhh...yeah. Sounds great."

Kira grabbed her father's hand. "Yeah dad, come on! This will be great!"

Bryce eagerly followed his daughter's lead and when they were gone, Connor laughed. "I can't wait to see how you handle it when Kayla starts getting serious with some guy..."

Tommy growled. "Never gonna happen...ever!"

"Uh huh...we'll see in about 10 years." At Tommy's snarl, he walked away to stand on the other side of the mat. The adults had a special job for him and Kira...at the right time.

Kimberly walked over to him then and took his hand in hers. "Awe Handsome, did Connor get your fur all ruffled up?

At her husband's grumble she added in a laughing voice, "You do know it will happen one day, right? Our Ninja Princess will someday catch the eye of some poor boy and she'll make him jump through hoops to even get close to her."

Her adorable husband groaned. "Kim, I'm gonna go gray from all this!"

Kim was still in a playful mood and she gave him a pouty look while she ran her fingers through his hair. "Awe, but that's nothing some hair dye won't fix. You're too young to be a grandpa."

At that, all color drained from his face.

Kimberly kissed him softly and rubbed his bare arms. Hey, we still have our little one on the way...and you still have a good ten years before you'll need to break out any semi-automatic rifles okay?"

Tommy sighed. "You're lucky I love you."

At that Kimberly smirked. "No, you're lucky you have me. Who else would you get to help you work out all this frustration?"

"Ok, Ok, I give."

Kimberly kissed him again. "Come on, let's go watch. I promise to make it all better later."

"I love pregnancy hormones."

Kimberly smacked him lightly...and Tommy couldn't resist lightly smacking her behind in retaliation. She only giggled as they walked towards the mats. Because she was pregnant, she couldn't participate, but she would watch, as would Tommy.

In the meantime, Kira and Bryce settled on a bench against the wall. The battle Royale was still going and now only Jason, Rocky, and Adam remained. The kid's weren't aware of it, but slowly, the adults were letting down their guard and allowing themselves to lose. It was about their endurance, as Tommy had told Bryce.

Kim hadn't slept any better than Kyle did that morning. She'd had a very bad feeling and so suggested a last minute unexpected attack from Kira and Connor to test their readiness. Tommy had learned long ago not to doubt his wife's intuition...or rather her wifey senses.

Minutes later, Karen joined them. she'd driven in with Bryce to the house, but with her new delicate situation, which only she knew about, she'd had to stop and use the bathroom. But now, she sat down on the other side of her daughter spoke with Bryce.

"They really are family, aren't they?" Bryce asked in a voice of awe.

"Yeah, and we're the newest members. We all share a legacy...and before all this crap happened, before you...they were my only family.

Bryce sighed. "I'm glad you have at least had something like a family growing up."

Kira looked at her father. "I didn't have this family until about a year ago. Roger's a damn good actor and I never realized how evil he was. Kira paused. "Picking up that Dino Gem was the best decision I ever made. Without it, I'd never have any of this. Not Connor, not the other rangers, no family."

At hearing this, Karen felt her heart shatter, and she sobbed. When Kira looked over at her, she pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her eyes. Feeling horrible at what she'd just said Kira put and arm around her mother. "I'm sorry mom, I know you did the best you could."

Karen shook her head vehemently. "No, I should have done more. I was so focused on trying to keep that bastard phony happy so he wouldn't start in on you. I promise Kira, I'm gonna do my best from now on to be the best mom I can towards you."

Kira hugged her mom as her eyes were drawn to the mat. Rocky was the only one standing, as both kids turned on him and working in tandem forced him out of the 'ring'.

The moment, the last adult was out, both kids let out a deep breath and dropped their arms.

Kira only glanced at Connor and then said softly to her parents, "Now the real fun begins," before she crept to the side of the mat, opposite Connor.

Karen scooted closer to her love and he wrapped an arm around her waist as Kira and Connor jumped in to the fight launching a fresh attack on the worn out kids. It caught them off guard but they were a credit to their heritage and their rigorous training showed as they recovered swiftly. They both fought valiantly, but soon, they were defeated and pinned by the newest ranger veterans.

Bryce and Karen were in awe, but said nothing as Adam declared the match over.

After releasing the kids, Connor helped Kira to her feet and gave her a quick chaste kiss on the lips before they walked back to their parents.

David walked over to them with Shawnee by his side. He looked Kira's parents over as Bryce got to his feet.

"And who might you be?" The tough biker asked.

"I'm David True-Heart, Connor's dad."

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><p><strong>So, what did you all think of everything? Leave this fic some love, people!<strong>


	16. A Lot Can Happen In A Week

**Hey everyone, are we ready for some more story? Good. I don't want give any plot away, but I think you all have gotten used to the way I write things. **

**This chapter takes place over the following week, and so has a few time jumps. It was needed so that this fic doesn't drag on too long. **

**Special Thanks once again, to my beta, MertMidnightAngel. Thanks to her she caught a major plot hole that I missed so that this chapter would make sense.**

**Okay, that's enough chatter from me. See you guys at the bottom!**

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><p><strong>That same day<strong>

**Undisclosed Location**

"Very good, very good indeed." said a very pompous voice. "The reaction was just what I suspected."

"Sir, I don't understand. How is vandalism going to help us?" asked a voice that sounded just as refined.

"These rats aren't like the half breed bastards we've taken down before. There's something else to these people. Mr. Ford told me as much when we had that business conference way back. He's a manipulative bastard and he proved it by wedging himself into long hair's relationship. He might have been fine he had left the daughter alone."

"And that landed him in jail, courtesy of those hippies."

"Yes, but jail isn't the problem. Money can easily take care of that. Speaking of the girl, what did you find out about her?"

"She's under their protection. Those migrants who own that Manor took her and her boyfriend under their wing. My sources tell me that she's contacted a wedding planner."

"Ah, and who's the lucky bastard?"

"Conner McKnight."

Silence ruled the room for a minute.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I wish I was sir. His parent's left him and his twin a fortune, and that lawyer we paid only managed to get half of their wealth before that stupid red skinned science teacher stepped in and scared the leech off."

"Well, I'm not as worried about him. He's not as big a threat, though I want his house too. It's the manor I'm after and running those inbreeds out of town will get it."

"What's your next step, sir?"

"Attacking that hippie's daughter only served to test the boundaries. We need to find a better target to hit. "What about that yellow girl. She's tiny and easily crushed."

"No, too obvious a target. Find another one...I don't care who you get; we need to strike hard and from where they'll least expect it. One way or another I'm going to get rid of those vermin, once and for all."

"Yes, Sir."

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><p><strong>Back at the Manor<strong>

David sat in front of his sons. In about an hour he would have to leave and go back home. Work called in the morning, and he had money to make. But his beautiful wife and daughter were getting to know his grandson. He was taking this time to bond with his children...big children.

"You don't know what it means to have you kids back in my life. I've thought about you every day since I had that dream."

Connor and Eric looked at each other. They didn't know what to say.

"It's a lot to take in, Dad. I wish I'd known about you sooner, we could have gotten to know each other more."

David sighed. "I know, but I had to keep you boys safe. The powers that be were too much for me to handle at the time...and I have a feeling the threat still exists. So I can't exactly shout from the rooftops that you boys are mine just yet."

"You don't need to do that, Dad. Just knowing we're not fatherless is enough for us." Conner replied. "We have so much to catch up on."

David nodded. "That we do. I have to go back home tonight, but I wanted you boys to have something." Saying this, he picked up a leather bag, opened it, and pulled out a choker. It was a very traditional looking piece, containing three rows of hair bone beads and looked obviously handmade, but it was the decoration in the middle that caught their eye.

"Sometime, during that night we spent on the beach, your mother's necklace fell off, some kind of broken clasp. I had planned to return it to her, but your grandfather prevented it. I kept this safe all this time, and just after I got the birth announcement, I began to construct a choker with this opal pendant in it, in hopes to give it to one of you someday." saying this he looked at Conner. "It's yours now, son."

Eric looked on in silent envy as Conner put the gift on. As if sensing his oldest son's emotions, David looked at him. "I would never leave you out of this." Saying this he reached behind him and took off his own choker. "It's a tradition in our family to pass on the father's choker to the eldest son. One day, I hope you'll make on to pass on to yours."

Both boys were quiet as David grinned at them. That lasted a full minute before they both hugged their father tightly. He only chuckled in amusement. He'd always dreamed of this moment...and he welcomed it. Better late than never, as the saying goes.

Once their father left, Connor went in search of his bride, and it was in her arms they spent the rest of the day, only emerging for bathroom breaks and dinner, which was served in the kitchen. Eric went back to his son and they spent the night just hanging out with the others and watching TV.

Both boys fell into peaceful sleep. They were grounded in their worth and their identities. Neither one took their chokers of that night. Kira lay watching him for a moment, and she noted silently to herself the slight change in her man; his eyes were brighter and he stood a little straighter. She'd said as much to him, and he only kissed her in reply.

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><p><strong>Monday<strong>

Kira felt free and easy the next day as she slid into the passenger side of Connor's car. Her own was still in the shop and her father had told her that the brothers were just waiting on the garage's turn in the paint shop. Hopefully she would have her car back soon. She could see now why men were so attached to their cars. She missed her baby.

When they arrived at Callista's, Conner had to swerve at the last moment to avoid a yellow Camaro that nearly clipped them. Kira cursed softly, thankful that Kayla wasn't with them. She'd gone back with parents and would be back the next weekend...possibly.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Conner yelled at the driver as she drove away. The car skidded to a stop and the woman in the driver's seat looked out the window and flipped them the bird.

"Yeah, that's real lady-like!" Conner shot back at her.

"Baby, that's no lady...it's that Leticia woman. And she looked pissed." Kira said softly as he put his head on the steering wheel.

Conner blew out a breath before he looked at her. "You okay babe?"

Yeah, but that was Leticia. Now I'm really worried about Callista."

Conner didn't say another word as he put the car back in gear and pulled into the driveway. As his car shut off, Ms, Lydia appeared at the door.

"Goodness! Are you two alright?" She walked slowly down the steps.

Connor got out of the car and hurriedly gave it a once over. Thankfully, there wasn't any damage. He stood back up and leaned against it, heaving a big sigh. Kira got out of and went to his side. He smiled as she hugged him from behind and slowly turned around and held Kira close to him.

"We're okay. Are you alright? That woman looked pissed."

The older woman leaned against the rail, grinning. "Yes, thanks to you guys!"

Kira's looked up at Conner and then up at the assistant. "How do you mean?"

Lydia slowly walked down the stairs and approached them. "Since the moment you two walked in, my daughter has flourished. You brought Zachery into her life and she's so much better. He was here this morning when that Leticia girl came to pick up my grandson. The vile woman couldn't get a word in edgewise when Zack informed her that he hired a lawyer and that they were suing her for sole custody of Kai and for defamation. She tried to insult my girl and Zachery shut her up!"

Connor and Kira grinned at her look of satisfaction. "The thanks goes to Kayla, I think. She introduced them. We just brought her along with us."

"True, but you guys have brought the sun in with you. She's never been so happy!"

"We do what we can. Now can we come in or will we be interrupting something?"

The older woman blushed. "Oh my dears, of course, come on in! I'll get you some drinks." She almost tripped on her way to open the door. Connor only chuckled as they walked hand in hand through the door.

What they saw when they walked in was a beautiful moment. Zack's arms were wrapped around Callista and she was leaning in to him as he whispered something in her ear, which made her giggle softly. The former ranger glanced up at them and said something else causing the smaller woman to wipe away a tear and then step away from him. "Hey guys, I'm so sorry to-"

"It's okay Callista, he's our friend too; we can wait a few moments for you guys to finish up. Zack can stay if he wants to."

Kira looked at Zack and he seemed a lot happier too. He kissed Callista one more time and then headed for the door. "No, guys. It's okay. I left my son at the manor, he wasn't so happy to see Kai go this morning. I didn't want him to see the ugliness that just left." He paused and grinned at Callista, "But I'll pick you up at 6?"

"I'll be ready. Love you!"

Zack grinned even wider. "Love you too. Have a good day." he chuckled and shook his head before walking out the door.

Conner grinned into Kira's neck as the woman before them took a deep breath. If you'll give me a moment to freshen up, we can get the meeting started."

"Of course, take your time. We'll be here when you're ready."

Callista only nodded and then walked to her office and closed the door.

Kira looked up at Conner and he pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. When he'd led her to a chair and pulled her into his lap, she got a good look around the room. On the main desk was a beautiful flower arrangement of roses and sprigs of greenery artfully arranged among the blooms. She smiled contentedly and leaned against her fiancé as he wrapped his arms around her. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Lydia handed them each some bottle water and leaned against her desk.

A few more minutes passed and then the door to the office opened. Callista walked out to them and smiled. She'd fixed her hair and makeup and straightened her blouse. Around her neck was a beautiful necklace, that kira recognized immediately as the Love's Embrace pendant she'd seen on TV. It accented her Mocha toned skin perfectly.

Callista smiled. "He gave it to me this morning...he's something else."

Kira chuckled as Connor led her to the chair and sat down next to her. A moment passed and she was all business again.

"Now, this morning. I wanted to discuss the next step with you. A lot of couples like to put in an engagement announcement in the paper, along with a photo-"

"No!" Kira shook her head vehemently. "No, I don't want Roger to know what we're doing! He'll send someone to wreck everything. Can't we skip that step?"

Conner blew out a breath and turned to Kira. "Rockstar, we can't let him shadow this. I beat the shit out of him so we could be free. That ass-licker doesn't have any place in this. If I have to hire security then I will, but I won't hide from him and you shouldn't either." In a softer tone that only Kira heard he added. "We're rangers, and we're better than this.""

Kira still shook her head and she looked terrified. "He'll get past security. He's snuck up on us before; I just know he'll try something, if he knows about the wedding."

Connor kissed her hair again. "What can he do from jail? I'm gonna be your husband soon, and for this marriage to work out, I need you to trust me as much as I trust you. We're a team, Kira. And I'm not about to let that piece of garbage destroy something that you've been looking forward to your whole life."

Kira looked up at him and instantly recognized the same voice he used so many times in the heat of battle. He was using his red ranger tone on her and she instantly felt her own strength gather in her and she looked at Connor again. "You're right, I'm sorry for acting like a pansy."

He smiled at her and kissed her again. After taking a deep breath he looked up at Callista. "We'll do it. We were meaning to get our pictures done today anyway. We'll just have them email you when they're ready."

Callista nodded. "Sounds good. Now, traditionally the parents of the bride and groom put the announcement in, but more and more couples are putting in the announcement themselves, I was planning to speak to your father about it, Kira. But I wanted to know you're thoughts about it first."

Kira looked at Conner again. "Set it up then. I know my father will agree to it."

The wedding planner nodded. "Alright then, moving on. You said you were getting pictures done?"

* * *

><p><strong>Later In The Day<strong>

**Back in the basement office**

Eric sat in the office while Kailen was taking a nap on the couch in the living room. He'd fallen asleep and Tanya was keeping an eye on him. Adam sat next to him and cued up the communication device. After pressing a button on the console, Andros appeared.

"Hey Andros. I trust you had a good weekend?" Adam asked.

The man with dual toned hair nodded. "Yeah, I did, and I got the answers you were asking for...it's a bit surprising so you may want to brace yourselves."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, give it to me straight. I can handle it."

"Okay. First thing is my suspicions were correct. The female is definitely from this planet. His telekinesis is a direct ability that we have. But here's where it gets complicated. About twenty years ago, a group of scientists that majored in bio-genetics started researching and developing a formula to genetically engineer super soldiers. Ashley told me how cliché that was and after watching some earth movies, I'm in total agreement with her, but the sad thing is that it did happen. After several children were born it became clear that the experiments failed. They were born healthy but had abnormalities, and disabilities...and in some cases, were born with no super abilities. Finally the government put an end to it, and outlawed the entire procedure.

About two years later, it was discovered that a few of the scientists had broken said law and were still experimenting, using single mothers and promising them money, only to throw them out when the experiments failed. One of the rejected mothers went to the authorities and told them everything. They were soon rounded up and exiled from the planet with their families. That is common knowledge here. But what we didn't know was that the exiled scientists found a fertile planet on the outskirts of the galaxy. They settled down and started their lives again. We had thought it would stop their since we confiscated their equipment and files before we exiled them, but it appears from what you said that they started up again.

This specialist I'm sending is a former native of that colony. She was able to defect with the help of a passing vessel that stopped to gather supplies from a city on the other side of the planet. I've spoken with her and she was able to give me the rest of the answers we needed. The female that assaulted you was looking to create a designer baby of some kind. She's the teenage daughter of one of the scientists. From descriptions, she was already a beautiful girl, which makes me thing that she could have gotten pregnant and still had a very beautiful child. But she wanted a special child, to be the envy of her friends. So she must have done something similar and hopped a space ship and went to earth. We're still not sure how she knew who the rangers were, but it appears she was targeting Conner and because you're his identical twin, she mistook you for him."

Eric shook his head. "That's insane. I don't know anything about the ranger abilities, but I would think that if it is possible to carry any of the powers down through genes that Kayla or any of the other kids would have shown powers of their own by now."

Andros nodded. "Exactly. Though I don't know how it works with the Ninjetti power, it definitely doesn't work with the normal ranger powers. What do you think Adam?"

Adam looked thoughtful. "It's an interesting theory. I wouldn't pass it off lightly, since we never put any thought into it. That's more of a question to ask Billy. He's the genius, not me."

"Well, if you do find out anything, I'd be interested in the results."

"Will do, thanks Andros."

"No problem. I've given the specialist the week to get all her loose ends tied up and settle things here on KO-35. Ash and I were planning to come for a visit with the twins this Saturday, so we're bringing her with us, if you have room that is."

"Oh I think we have at least four rooms open on the kids floor and the spring and summer room are still open. You can take your pick of them."

"That'll do it! See you guys then."

"We'll be waiting!"

Once the connection was closed out Eric sat forward and put his head in his hands. Adam saw and grimaced. He walked up to the young father and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay Eric. We're gonna help you sort this stuff out."

Eric looked up at him. "Thanks... for everything, but I think I need some air."

"Ok. Tanya's gonna be finished with dinner soon, so we'll call you when it's ready."

Eric only nodded and then walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week passed quietly. Kira and Conner got the engagement pictures taken and then handed in the best one to their planner, after which they spent the rest of the week taking over their classes at the dojo. The kids had missed them a lot and it showed when they all jumped their beloved teachers and tackled them to the ground.<p>

They felt relaxed and happy again.

In the meantime, the parents of the bride and groom met, this time under calmer circumstances at a nice restaurant, and both men behaved, with encouragement from their wives who got along really well and became very good friends. This is something neither of them thought would ever happen for them, as both had lost their chance at fatherhood to forces more powerful then themselves. Though neither of them realized at the time how much they had in common. For while they chatted away discussing wedding plans and the wording of the announcement, those same powerful forces were plotting at ways to take over the town. Finally they found a good unknown enforcer that suited their needs...and made his passage into the faculty of the high school in no time at all. Now, they just needed to wait for the perfect moment to strike...

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><p><strong>Friday<strong>

The waves crashed into the shore and drew back as the next wave rolled in. Summer had yet to hit and it was early spring, too cold to surf, but the two brothers who walked the beach took in the salty air with relish.

"So, are you ready to give up your bachelor hood so soon?" Eric asked. "How do you handle all this wedding stuff?"

Conner shrugged. "The wedding planner is handling most of the big stuff. We tell her what we want and don't want, and she makes it happen. Her client list isn't very big, thanks to that Leticia woman, so she has lots more time to work things out. We meet with her at least twice a week, and she handles the vendors. It's pretty painless. As for my bachelorhood, I've lived it to the full. But it was still empty even when Krista and I were dating. She was more interested in protecting the wildlife then actually being with me. I tried to keep up with her, but she was way too much for me to handle. I heard she fell in love with another protester not long after and I've not spoken to her in a long time. But, yes, I'm ready to end it and marry Kira. She's just it for me; there are no regrets at all. I won't miss being single and I'm ready to start our life together.

The only thing that's kept me from kidnapping her and hightailing it to the courthouse is that I want this wedding to be my first gift to her. She's got her real dad in her life, and he gets to walk her down the aisle. I only wish Dad could stand up with me, but he's insistent on staying in the background, I wish more than anything that his name had been in the announcement, and not just our uncle."

Eric looked thoughtful, "What's keeping that from happening again?"

"Dad's afraid that if we announce to the world that we're not actually McKnights, some greedy relatives are gonna come in and challenge us for ownership of the mansion and our trust funds."

"Have you actually looked at the will? Did either of us actually read the wording of the will? I know we were only teens but I think we should go get another look at that will. I don't wanna pretend to be a McKnight anymore."

"Me neither, I'd love to..." Conner trailed off as his phone went off in his back pocket. He looked at it, seeing it was Ranook's number. Instantly a feeling of dread filled him as he flipped it open. "Hey Ranook, is everything okay."

"No. There's been an attack in the guy's locker room. Lief's with Kyle but there's blood everywhere. We're trying to stop the bleeding as best we can. The older goth kids took off after the guy, but we can't find the coach and we need help!"

"Okay, has 911 been called yet?"

"Yeah, Sapphire called them. She's with Autumn; she's pretty messed up to. "

"Has she been attacked?"

"No, but she's hysterical. I don't know how to help her."

"Okay, stay there. We're on the way. Put as much pressure on the wound as you can. Don't let up until the paramedics get there." Conner said as he looked at Eric. "I'll call their dads and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Okay."

Conner hung up and then ran off at top speed towards the car with Eric at his side. He threw his keys to Eric and climbed in the passenger side. Eric started the car as his twin called another number, running his hand through his hair. "Rocky, there's no time to lose, Ranook just called me...it's Kyle, he's been attacked."

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><p><strong>*takes a deep breath and holds up shield* okay, I know you all hate cliffies, but I had very good reasons for doing it, so let me have it. Just not too hard! *weak smile*<strong>


	17. When The Worst Happens

**It's always darkest before Dawn- Probverb**

**I don't own power rangers, but I do own all OC's and the plot**

**My beta is a bit under the weather, so any and all mistakes and typos are my fault. As soon as she's better, she'll give me the better version of this chapter.**

**I said this on my facebook page already, but if Racism or the Neo-Nazi regime/occult are a trigger for you, then skip down to the bottom of the chapter. **

**Sit down and strap in. This is a rough chapter. **

**See me at the bottom.**

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><p>Eric never raced towards a school so fast in his life. But right now, as pedal met metal he prayed hard that the cops would not stop him. Or at least, not till he got to the school.<p>

"It's up ahead. Dammit, where's my freaking raptor cycle when I need it?"

Eric looked over at his brother. "I know this is a crisis situation, but you've got to get your emotions in check. You won't help anyone by running in there with guns blazing. Rocky and the others are gonna be freaking out as it is. You need to get your shit together and handle everything calmly."

Conner shut his phone as he'd called everyone he needed too. His brother was right; so he closed his eyes and forced himself to focus, Autumn would need some one calm to cling to, at least until her parents got there. There would be so much chaos, he wished instantly that it was possible to clone himself.

Eric broke into his thoughts. "I got your back, Bro. We play it by ear. If the parents aren't there, then I'll look after Autumn. Kyle's gonna need you more."

Conner could only nod as they entered the school's parking lot. Thankfully, there was so much chaos that no one really noticed how haphazardly Eric parked the car. The moment the car was parked, Conner sprang out and ran to the school, in a red blur.

Eric watched him go with wide eyes and he prayed that no civilians saw him. He pocketed the keys and ran towards the school. As he did, he wondered where the authorities were. There wasn't a siren to be heard.

He walked as fast as he could down the hallway and heard the unmistakable sound of a girl crying hysterically. He broke into a run and got to her in a mere seconds. Autumn was hunched over by the wall with Sapphire next to her. He knelt down in front of her.

"Autumn, it's okay, we're here now."

"Conner!" She gasped as she fell into his arms. He didn't bother to correct her, but instead held her close as Sapphire watched.

Meanwhile Conner knelt next to Kyle and took over for Lief who backed away looking even paler then he normally did. His shirt was covered in sweat and blood streaked the front of his gym shirt. He looked really nauseous too.

"Where's the medics? The nurse asked him as she lifted up Kyle's shirt, checking for injuries. Conner looked up at the two boys who were sitting on the benches watching them. Ranook was looking at his feet and Leif had his eyes closed and was taking several deep breaths. All the while he was rubbing his fingers over the little raised scars he'd told Conner about.

"I don't know. They should have beaten me here."

The nurse looked up then. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

I'm a friend of the family. Ranook called me and I've called his parents. They'll be here soon. Now, what do you need me to do?"

The blood flow was heavy, whoever attacked him knew exactly which area to cut. He nicked a vein. Keep pressure on it and keep his arm elevated. It should help keep the bleeding to a minimum." Conner obeyed and then looked at Kyle. He looked really messed up. He had bruises everywhere, and he was just so pale."

As if sensing his distress, the nurse looked up at him. "He looks worse then he is. I've checked his blood pressure and his eyes. He's only passed out, not comatose. For now, we keep him stable till the EMT's arrive."

Minutes passed and finally there was a rush of people. The medics finally arrived. One took over for Conner and he stepped back taking a seat next to the boys. He looked over at Lief who seemed to be in a world of his own.

"We called you over 20 minutes ago. What happened?"

Hearing the question, his head head snapped up. He'd wondered that too.

"Major road block. It was more like a barricade. I didn't see any officers or flashing lights."

Conner looked down to see both boys standing next to him, Ranook was shaking. He was fiddling with the cellphone. Conner closed his eyes and as he shut away his emotions, he felt the red ranger come to life, he suddenly felt strength flow into him. It was time to get his shit together and act like the leader he was. He spoke in low tones to the both of him.

"Kyle's in good hands, come with me."

Both teens nodded and followed him out of the door. When they were on the other side of the hallway, he turned to them. "Ranook, you got any footage of the attack?"

The skater nodded. Yeah, that big dude that the goth kids got, I saw him doing his janitor stuff during gym class."

Conner took a deep breath and nodded. Ok, go sit with Sapphire and Autumn, my brother should be with them. Don't let anybody know you have footage, we'll need it later."

When the boy ran off, he turned to Lief. "And did your 'queen' give you any orders in this situation? I know you all follow her."

She told me to stay with Kyle and try to stop the bleeding. She had 'Nook call the ambulance...and then get the nurse while she and the others went after the attacker."

Conner nodded again. "Okay, your coach should have been the first on the scene, he would have had first aid training, but he never showed. That's not good, we should go find him first."

I know where that is, it's in the locker room on the other side of the showers." He jogged off towards the gym and Conner followed him. He cursed softly as he saw the bulky man laying prostrate on the floor. Kneeling next to the coach, and put two fingers to his throat cussed again when his fingers came away bloodied. He wiped them quickly and then bent over the coach's chest. He let out a sigh of relief as he heard a heart beat. It was faint, but still there.

He looked up at Lief, he's alive, but we need a medic in here. Lief nodded again ran further into the room and soon came back with a medic following him.

" He's bleeding...but he's still alive."

* * *

><p>At the same moment that all this was going on, there was a sudden uproar in the hallways of the school. The parents had arrived. Rocky ran through the halls of the high school; at the moment the only thought in his mind was getting to his son, though later he would reflect on the fact that the school hadn't changed much since he graduated. It was still pretty easy to find his way to the locker rooms.<p>

Conner looked up sensing the presence of another ranger. He stood up walked out the door seeing Rocky running towards him. He met him half way with Lief next to him.

"Conner, what's going on here? Where's my son?"

"He's alive. He's got cuts on his left wrist and forearm, but we've managed to staunch the blood flow. At the moment, he passed out. The medics are getting ready to transfer him to the gurney so they can get him to the ER."

Thank you, Conner." Aisha said in a soft voice as she leaned against her husband.

Just as Conner was about to answer her, they heard a commotion and both men looked in the direction of the noise."

I'll handle it." Then he ran off in the direction of the teacher's parking lot with Lief following him.

He stopped short of the doors and stopped in surprise. No less then 20 teenagers in Gothic style clothes were standing around in a circle next to a very wicked looking muscle car. On the hood of the car, an older student, in a very pretty white dress with ballet flats, sat. When Lief walked up to her and placed a hand over his heart, he knew instantly that this must be the 'queen'. He walked up to her a moment later and she gave him a quizzical look.

"You're a little old to be attending high school aren't you?"

"Yeah. But I don't attend school here, I'm a family friend, Ranook let me know what happened. His parents are here now.

"Is he okay? Kyle, I mean?"

"Yeah, he'll live, the medics are taking him to the ER."

"Of course he'll live. I wasn't paid to kill the little monster." An arrogant voice said behind them. "Though I would have loved to keep them from breeding more whelps like him."

Conner looked back at the younger girl. "That's the redneck you caught?"

The 'queen' nodded. "Yeah, he's covered in blood and he hasn't shut up since we caught him."

"May I talk to the prisoner?"

The queen only nodded. "Yeah, go ahead...but have you heard from the cops yet?"

"They've been called. He said giving her a look. Thankfully, she was a smart girl and caught on to his meaning. She only nodded and followed him to the man on the blacktop.

He had to hold back the laugh when he saw them. The ruffian was on the floor and had two other goth students sitting on his back and a bigger kid, sitting on his legs. The culprit was going nowhere.

Conner walked over to him, his mind held a plan. He got down to the man's level.

"Do you know who I am?" he said in a confident voice.

The man sneered at him. "What the hell do I care? You're just some rich momma's boy who runs up her credit card."

Conner snorted. "Yeah, you'd think so. I'm Conner Mcknight. I'm rich and powerful...and that kid you attacked? He's my little brother. I don't know what you hoped to accomplish by this, but all you did was kick the hornets nest...and it's full of people you really don't want to mess with. Believe me, your really stepped into it and your ass will be in a sling soon enough. I have enough money to put you away for life...that is, if the inmates don't get you first."

"And he's the least of your problems." said a new voice. Conner turned around and saw two men in police uniforms headed towards them.

Conner stood up as they approached. Nothing was said as the officers appraised the situation. Then the younger of the men spoke up. The younger man was dressed in a blue t-shirt with the shield for the Angel Grove Police department printed over the right breast pocket. Around his neck was a lanyard with his badge clipped onto it. His neatly trimmed brown hair was all but hidden under his backwards facing baseball cap. "I'm officer Kelman of the Angel Grove Police department. What's going on?"

"I'm Conner McKnight. My little brother was attacked by this man. I'm sure you saw the mess on the way here. These teenagers were able to catch and hold him. I'd hoped you would be here sooner."

Officer Kelmen gave him a warning glance. A moment passed before the older man walked over to the group and cuffed the man on the floor.

The younger cop pulled out his notepad. "Yes, I saw the parents following the gurney out to the ambulance. He then looked at the Goths on the floor. "So, who's the leader here?"

"I'm Lilith." The 'queen' said as she slid off the hood of the car and walked towards them with confident grace. We had a feeling that something might happen. Our friends Lief and Sapphire found Kyle and he was bleeding. They called his parents, and my boyfriend Draven caught up to him and the other's are holding him down."

The cop looked at them in interest. "You look like a tight knit group, like the Borg Collective."

Conner held back a chuckle as Lilth rolled her eyes. "Hardly, it's more like a coven. I'm the head Goth and we haven't trusted the principle or anyone in charge since Mr. Caplan left. No one gives us a second glance. I could shock you with the things we've seen."

Officer Kelman only nodded solemnly and it caught Conner's notice. There was something different about this police man. "I see. It's good to know that the heroes never left Angel Grove. Here's my card. Stick around in case we need you to testify."

The Goth Queen gave him a look of thanks and took the card. He walked over to Conner and handed him a card too. They turned as the older officer hauled the man to his feet and read the man his rights. They followed them out of the gym.

It would have been nice if that's all that happened there, but there was more to happen.

* * *

><p>Adam and Tanya were walking towards them hand in hand when the assailant smirked at them.<p>

"Heil Hitler!."

Before anyone could say anything, Adam sprang at the man and threw him up against the wall. "You picked the wrong family to mess with!"

The neo-nazi smirked. "Not hardly. Who'd want to fuck your girl anyway. I don't mess with the colored bitches. It's a population control thing. You wouldn't under-"

He sentence was cut short as Adam grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head into the wall. In the next moment Officer Kelmen and Conner were pulling Adam off of him and restraining him on the other side of the hallway. He fought their grip as the bleeding man was escorted to the waiting cruiser.

When they were gone, the younger cop turned to them and handed them his card. "I'll be in touch." Then he left them in stunned silence.

Just then the school secretary approached them. She looked very downcast and she was shaking as she handed them an envelope. "Please, don't hate me for this. I'm merely a messenger." Without another word, she walked away.

Tanya exhaled harshly. She didn't even need to open the note, she knew what it was.

"That bitch. She sends someone else to do her dirty work."

"Mom!" a softer voice asked. Both parents looked up to see Autumn running towards them. Eric gave his brother a solemn look as both parents held their daughter. It was such an intensely private moment that both of them looked away, instead the the elder brother walked to him.

"Is Saphire and Ranook ok?"

"Yeah, Ranook handed me an SD chip and then went to class. Leif and Autumn walked with him. Conner only nodded.

Tanya walked over to them. "Conner, you need to go back to the house. Kira's in bad shape."

Conner's heart clinched. "What's wrong? I thought she was hanging with you girls. Pedicures and all that?"

"She got flowers this morning...she thought they were from you...but they weren't."

They were all quiet as Conner pondered who could have possibly sent the flowers. His breath hitched then as his eyes widened. He bolted for the door.

Eric barely managed to jump in the car as his twin floored it. "Woah, what's going on?"

"My Kira needs me...hang on tight, I've got to get to my girl."

* * *

><p>In no time at all they reached the manor. Conner didn't even bother to park his car in the garage. He only had presence of mind to put the the car in park before he raced up the steps of the house.<p>

Eric watched him go and then slid into the drivers seat and shifted the car in to gear so he could park it in the garage.

He'd never seen that look in his brother's eye before. And he knew that a storm was on it's way...and it was gonna be bad.

Conner knocked on the door to the room they shared. "Kira! Open the door it's me!"

He waited a few moments and then knocked again. "I'm scared Kira. Please, let me in!"

Kira opened the door then and didn't look in his eyes. She only handed him the ring he'd given her. "I'm sorry Jock. I love you...but I can't go through with it." Conner's heart stopped as Kira closed the door on him again and locked it. Moments later he heard her cries.

Conner didn't know what to do. He turned his back on the door and looked at the ring in his hand and then slid down to the floor.

His heart was breaking...and he was devastated. It seemed the whole world was falling apart.

* * *

><p><strong>Back in Reefside<strong>

"You've got to be kidding me!" Tommy said in a dark voice. "That's a sick joke, Jason."

"I wish I was joking bro...but things are real bad. I've never wished so hard that I still had my powers. The guys are devastated. We need to call in some help...I trust Fred, but Tanya said that Fred acted really weird today. Something's up."

"Ok. We need to be smart about this. I don't have my powers either, and we can't trust the Angel Grove Police."

"We need to make the call."

The phone line was quiet. "Ok. I'll do it."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I hated this chapter too, so go ahead and let me have it. For anyone who thinks that Adam was OOC, anyone can lose his cool in the heat of the moment, even the mild mannered black ranger. I'm sure anyone would lose their cool in this situation.<strong>


	18. Devistation

**And I'm back. **

**I had planned to post this chapter next week, but after a couple of you expressed your anger for what happened in the last chapter, I've decided to post early to appease the mob. LOL.**

**Seriously? I'd hoped you guys had more faith in me. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm forever going to be HEA. There will definitely be a happy ending and once the worst is over, things will start to lighten up a bit. **

**I also want to say this before you guys read on. Life is never ever fair and it will kick you down when you least expect it.. There's just no way around that truth. Just like fire refines gold this trial will show both of them how strong their love really is. **

**In the course of writing this fic, I have become more and more disgusted with racism in every form weather its the racist skin heads (yes, I know the difference) the KKK or the Neo-Nazi regime. And in all honestly, I can't stomach it much longer. **

**So, I've decided here and now that once this fic is done, that I'll be sticking with aliens attacking Earth, 100 ft monsters and greedy men and petty women. **

**I guess that's enough of the heavy for now, so I'll keep on with the disclaimer:**

**I have not now or ever owned the Power Rangers. I'm not affiliated with Saban or the Disney Company. This is my plot and the OC's are mine.**

**Even though you all should expect this for now. I'm also issuing a warning. There is some brief foul language. **

**Now, go on and read the reaction of the rangers and see me at the bottom.**

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><p>Bryce felt all the air leave him. He took a deep breath and then opened his eyes.<p>

"She's called off the wedding?"

"Yes Sir." Kalista said through the phone. "She called me about 5 minutes ago to say that the wedding was off. It was really sudden and I'm seriously confused as to where this came from."

Bryce opened his eyes again. "Pay no attention to the cancellation. There's definitely more to this then I know. I'll get to the bottom of it."

Once he hung up, he took another deep breath. He had a sinking feeling in his gut, and he prayed he was wrong. He thought a moment more before he put in a call to the one person that would know what was going on.

A few rings went on before his future son in law answered. His heart sank when a weary sounding voice answered. "This is Conner."

"Hey Son, this is Bryce, wanna tell me why Kira's calling off the wedding?"

He heard Conner exhale over the phone. "It's Roger, he sent her flowers today. She thought I'd sent them, but they weren't from me. She gave me back her engagement ring and shut the bedroom door in my face and locked it. I'm sitting in front of her door, but aside from crying she hasn't made a sound. I think she might be asleep."

"Son of a bitch" Bryce growled. He was quiet again. "Son, did you see what shop they were from?"

Conner shook his head only to remember that Bryce couldn't see him. "No, I didn't see the flowers. Tanya told me that Kira needed me. I was at the school after the attack and-"

"What attack?"

"Kyle. Some neo-nazi attacked him at school. He's been rushed to the ER. That's why I wasn't there for the delivery. Ranook called me just after it happened."

Bryce had to sit down. "What the hell is going on? First Kira cancels the wedding-"

"It's my fault Bryce. I'm sure of it. I talked her into that wedding announcement. She just knew that this would happen, that Roger would find her and do something like this."

Suddenly the pieces fell into place...and he cursed again.

"Shit."

"What?" Conner asked.

"There's no way that Roger could have sent those flowers. Not if he's still in jail. The Manor isn't listed, so there's no way he could have found where you guys live without some help. Inmates aren't allowed money or credit cards. When I pressed charges, I also signed up for victim notification. If he was released, I should have been notified by now."

"We need a restraining order, I'll do anything to make Kira safe!"

"Agreed son, but a restraining order is only a piece of paper, we need some muscle to back it up. I'm calling the Silver Guardians in. Keep your phone on you. I'll make some calls and then get back to you."

Not even bothering to wait on him to answer, he ended the call. He went to his lap top and quickly found the number. Taking deep breath he punched in the numbers and then waited for the other end to pick up.

"Hello, Silver Guardians. How may we help you?"

"Hello, I'm calling because I need to arrange for some protection."

* * *

><p>At the same time, Tommy picked up his phone and called up the number for the private cell phone number belonging to Wes Collins. After the mission to the moon, they'd all kept in contact. For this, he was very grateful.<p>

It only took moments for the other end to pick up.

"Hey Tommy, what's up?"

"I'm calling in for some help. I've got a situation and we can't trust the police department and we can't use our power. Something's very wrong."

Wes gave his partner a very concerned look. Okay, give us ten minutes to get somewhere secure. We'll call you right back."

"I'll be waiting."

Eric and Wes shared a glance. This was a first, Tommy never called for backup. Their confusion shot up a notch. _What was going on?_

* * *

><p>Rocky paced the waiting room. He hated not being able to be at his son's bedside. The attack scared him and it was taking everything for him to not bust down the doors and demand to know what was taking the doctors so long.<p>

Aisha watched her husband pace. Of all things they had expected, this wasn't one of them. They'd all thought if anyone would be attacked, it would have been Autumn...and that's what they'd prepared for. But now everything had come at them from left field.

_What was going on?_

Minutes passed by before they were called. Adam and Tanya sat together with their daughter between them. She'd not spoken a word since they left the school. They were very concerned.

"Mr and Mrs De Santos?"

They both got up and approached him.

The ER doctor was a older man in his late 40's with light brown hair which had streaks of gray hair shot through it. He looked very tense as he spoke to them. "I'm doctor Neason. Your boy's fine, but we have something delicate to talk about. Please follow me."

Aisha looked at her husband who circled her waist with his arm as they followed the Er Doctor to a smaller room. When they'd had a seat and he closed the door, he took a deep breath and spoke to them.

"Kyle is sleeping comfortably and we have him on a morphine drip. He's in rough shape, but what I need to discuss with you is what we found out once the blood was cleared up. I'm calling this a hate crime."

He had a stoney expression and he had to swallow several times. "I've never in all my years working in Angel Grove thought I'd have to see this kind of thing...especially not on a youngster."

A small sob escaped Aisha. Rocky gave the doctor a steady look. He was an angry daddy. "Just tell me Doc, what did you find?"

The older man brought out a small digital camera and turned it on. He grimaced and then showed it to Rocky.

"You've got to be kidding me...what the hell is this?"

"I don't need to tell you what this is. We've treated his wounds but whoever carved this in his arm knew what they were doing. It's gonna scar for sure, when it's healed you should have your doctor recommend a a plastic surgeon. I wouldn't want to go through life marked like that."

Aisha looked like she was gonna be sick, but she swallowed thickly. "I want to see my son."

"Of course, Mrs. De Santos, follow me."

Rocky nodded. "I'll be right there. I need to let my brothers know what's going on."

Dr. Neason nodded. "Of course. When you're done, he'll be in bed 6."

After kissing his wife's forehead, Rocky walked back to the waiting room. Adam and Tanya were about to get up when Autumn ran towards him. "Is he gonna be okay?" She blurted out.

Rocky drew her into his arms. "Yeah, he's going to be fine. The doctors gave him some morphine so he's gonna be asleep for a little while. I'm going to go back and see him now, give me another 20 minutes and then I'll bring you back. Okay?"

His heart clinched when a tear escaped the corner of her eye. He kissed her hair. "Hang in there Sweetie, he'll be back on his feet before you know it."

Autumn nodded stiffly before she returned to her mother's side. When Rocky turned to walk back, Adam got up and hurried to his side. He grabbed his arm and his comrade stopped short but didn't look at him.

"I want this bastard found. He carved a fuckin' swastika on my son's arm...and the mark for the SS. Do whatever you have to do. Hire a damn hit man if you must. But I want his head on a pike. No one messes with my son. Ever!" Adam shivered at how his best friend snarled that last word.

He'd never ever seen his friend so pissed off, but he totally understood it. So he only nodded. "Go see to your boy, I'll handle everything else."

Rocky looked his best friend in the eye. "You're my best friend. Don't let me down."

"I won't. I've got your back, we all do."

Rocky only nodded and walked away.

Adam turned back to his wife feeling very ill at ease. Tanya was sitting with her daughter's head in her lap. Smoothing the hair away from her face in comforting strokes. She looked really worried when Adam leaned in close to her. He kissed her head gently. "Stay here, I've got a call to make."

Tanya only nodded and then returned to comforting her daughter.

* * *

><p>Tommy grimaced as Adam told him everything. "Okay, I'm waiting on a call from Wes. We're calling in some muscle. Go take care of your family and keep me posted."<p>

After hanging up he sat back in his chair and in the Dino Lab and waited for the call.

It didn't take very long. Tommy picked up his phone when it rang and sighed. "Tommy here."

"What the hell is going on over there?" Wes asked. We just had a Mr. Kinsington ask for special protection on his daughter Kira's wedding day. There's no other Kiras in your area with a wedding on the same day as the one on the invitation you sent us."

Tommy sighed. "Yeah, that's because it's the same wedding. There's been a lot of drama going on here. It's big mess all around."

"Then you better give us a cliff note's version." Eric said.

"Bryce Kinsington is her birth father. Roger Ford is the danger. He's the one who's responsible for most of the chaos. He's a sadistic piece of work and racist as well. He has no problem hitting women and he was supposed to be in jail. Somehow, he got released and we weren't notified.

Kira jumped the gun and called off the wedding for fear that Roger's gonna make an appearance. He's supposed to be in jail, but somehow a bouquet showed up for Kira and it had a message from Roger. Now she's hiding in her room, she's called off the wedding, and locked Conner out of their room. And he's beside himself. I'm pretty sure that Bryce called for your services for the same reason I am."

Tommy took a deep breath and finished softly. "We don't have any special powers to speak of, and that's one reason for asking for the Silver Guardians presence."

Eric sounded angry. "And the other reason? You said you didn't trust the police."

A moment passed. "Kyle was attacked today. In the locker room. They carved nazi symbols on his arm...I just spoke to Adam. The nazi that attacked Kyle started screaming Hitler's slogan at them...and then Adam retaliated.

As for the police, We have a friend whom we've known nearly all his life that works for them and was acting really strange when he came to take the report and to take that...culprit into custody... and it took the ambulance more then 20 minutes to get to the school and it took even longer for the cops to show up. I can't prove it, but I just know somethings wrong. If the kids and school hadn't acted as fast as they did, Kyle could have died."

"I'll ask about the kids later, but you don't have to say anymore. I know Taylor and Jen will want in on this.

"And the trouble makers?"

Eric scoffed. Real life was stranger then fiction. His son Reid and Wes' daughter, Erynn were thick as thieves and just as mischievous, where one went the other was never far behind.

"We'll be there by tomorrow morning, we need a little time to get some bags packed. I'm sure there's a lot going on that you can't tell us over the phone. However, we need to know what you'd like us to do about Bryce. He'll be expecting an answer really soon."

Tommy was quiet for a few moments. "Bryce hiring you guys is a good cover, I think we should keep things as they are. Go through with the protection order. Unfortunately, Bryce knows about our veteran status. So we won't really have to hide anything. I can't decide if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

Eric looked at Wes and then at the phone. "How the hell did that happen?"

"Bryce came to chew Conner out last weekend when Kira's car was vandalized. He heard Adam and Rocky bantering during a sparring match... it wasn't pretty. Especially when Conner's birth father stepped up to defend his son."

"I thought his parents were dead."

"Yeah, there's a lot to catch up on. I have a feeling that it all ties into this mess somehow. I just need to figure out how."

"Relax, Tommy." Wes said. "We'll be there in the morning. With so many rangers in the house it shouldn't take too long to figure this mess out."

"Thanks guys. See you tomorrow."

"See ya." Eric answered before the call ended. "He sat back in his chair and took his hat off while Wes called the wives. They had lots to do.

* * *

><p>Tommy sighed and put his head in his hands as tried to find his calm center. There was way too much happening. But in the silence of the lab he could not find peace. He'd never felt so devastated, not even when Kimberly was by Zedd. Then just as let out a frustrated growl, he felt warm and gentle fingers beginning to massage his shoulders. A sweet voice whispered in his ear.<p>

"Deep breathes, Handsome."

Tommy groaned as she worked her magic. After all these years of marriage, his wife had yet to lose her touch and in times when he needed it most, she was only one who could sooth his troubled spirit.

After several moments of deep breathing, she spoke again. "Tell me what you're thinking about?"

"The whole world is crashing around us." He replied as Kimberly walked around the chair and slowly sat on his lap. "Some neo-nazi punk strikes one of us and we all scatter. I feel lost, I never thought we'd have to deal with this kind of thing, especially in Angel Grove. My heart's broken for Rocky and Aisha. I can't bear the thought of anything happening to Kayla or this little guy." he said while reverently rubbing her tummy.

Kimberly only sighed and massaged her husband's scalp as his head rested against her chest. We'll head there as soon as Kayla gets home from school." At her words, Tommy stilled his wife's hand. "Beautiful, I want to pick her up now. I know it sounds-"

"-Like your paranoid?" Kimberly finished for him.

Tommy sighed. "Yeah. But with all that's happening, I'd just feel safer if we picked her up now and headed back to Angel Grove. Rocky and Aisha must be beside themselves with worry and Rocky doesn't even sound like himself anymore."

Kimberly kissed his head. "How did he sound?"

"Like a pissed off Red Ranger."

* * *

><p>Rocky sighed and looked down at his son. After they had deemed him out of danger, they moved him up to the children's ward for overnight observation. Thankfully, it was a private room.<p>

He was still under the influence of the morphine drip and had yet to wake up. Dr. Neeson told him that this was normal and it would help his body heal. He lifted his gaze and looked at Autumn. She was laying next to his uninjured side and was silently watching him. He could feel her devastation rolling off her. She truly didn't know what to do.

He'd worried that the doctor would object to this, but when he came in, he seemed to understand.

_He'd only smiled at Autumn and said, "I'm a doctor, not a psychiatrist, and all I can do is heal the body. As sappy as it sounds, I'm convinced that young love, can heal wounds better then the strongest anti-depressant on the market." He'd not said much more and then he left only to come back with another blanket for Autumn._

She hadn't moved since she climbed up next to him, Adam and Tanya had left to go find a bite to eat and had told them they'd bring back some food when they returned.

Rocky, for the first time, didn't feel like eating. He really didn't know what he was feeling, only that he didn't dare leave his son's side and neither did Aisha. She'd had yet to say anything either. They would both be staying the night, and the nurse had just entered to say she was bringing in another cot for them.

He had contacted the family doctor already and she'd be by in the morning before Kyle was discharged.

Then he'd find out who was behind this...and take his revenge.

* * *

><p><strong>Later that night<strong>

Conner was just beginning to drift off to sleep on his pallet of blankets next to their bedroom when the door opened. He didn't move but his eyes followed his love as she walked to across the way to the bathroom. His heart was clenching in his chest at the sadness she exuded. He felt so lost...he didn't know how to get back his bride.

He had no idea what to do.

Kira on the other hand, couldn't even look at Conner. She'd sensed him nearby all day, and had heard Kimberly speak softly to him when she'd brought him the blanket he was sleeping on.

She missed his warmth and wished she could sleep with him tonight, he always made her feel so loved and secure, but now she'd lost that. She'd pushed him out again...and now it felt like a wall was between them. She also hated herself for letting fear come between them.

She wanted so badly to take back everything she'd said and done. She'd ruined everything for them...she was sure of it. There's no way Conner could love her now.

She walked silently back to the room once she was ready for bed and climbed into the cold bed. She lay there in the dark for a few minutes before she pulled herself out of bed again and went to their shared dresser. She pulled the old red hoodie that he liked to hang on the end of the mirror and inhaled his scent that was still there and she laid back down holding it close to her.

_How could I ever let these things happen? _She thought to herself as the tears came again.

She cried herself to sleep that night.

On the other side of the door, Conner slept fitfully.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, things haven't improved much. However, steps are being taking to rectify the situation. I promise that things will improve soon. <strong>

**Okay, so let me have it. **


	19. Won't Let Go Pt 1

**And onward! **

**I want to thank everyone for being so patient. I really needed a break and time to get my head together. As a reward, you guys get an longer chapter then usual. I know everyone is looking forward to them reuniting but the chapter decided to write itself and with all that was going on in this chapter, that won't happen till next time. However, I hope you all like the girl power that this chapter features. **

**I want to give a massive thank you to my beta Mertmidnightangel for getting this chapter done so fast! She's freaking amazing! Woot! **

**Let's see, all that's left is the disclaimer! I don't own power rangers, (it would be awesome if I did) and I'm not making a single dime off of this, it's written for fun...yada yada yada. **

**Okay, have at it and see me at the bottom!**

* * *

><p>The next morning, an old black suburban pulled into the long driveway. Behind it, a modified black car followed. To the normal person, it would look like nothing more then a souped up sports car with it's glossy black background and flaming yellow eagle covering the hood of the car. But to any avid auto-enthusiasts, it was modified black Mercedes-Benz Guardian, a car that was built to protect the occupants. Really, that was why the cars had been chosen. The older van looked like it had seen better days, even with the new coat of paint that had been applied, but it was packing just as much protection as the newer looking car.<p>

The emblem on the Benz had been stripped away as well as any obvious ornaments that might suggest it was anything other then what it appeared to be. This car had been the girl's idea, something both of them had suggested soon after they'd joined up with the Silver Guardians. Neither of the wives had ever been seen on the front of any gun battle; both Wes and Eric had felt that they would be better suited to recon and spying. And they were good at it, but with the birth of their children, Reid and Erynn, they'd decided to hang up their badges for the time being and go on to a new job field: motherhood. And the two kids were practically siblings, thick as thieves, and needed the attention of both moms to keep them out of trouble. This morning, they were sleeping in the backseat of the smaller vehicle while the mom's chatted in the front seat.

They'd begged to ride the old suburban with their dads, and had all but thrown fits to get their way the night before, but both Eric and Wes had handled it beautifully. They'd shook their heads telling them that they were on a super dangerous mission and needed to make sure that the both of them were safe. The children had both been excited when the men had pulled them up into their laps and showed them the black book, which held mugshots of the suspected bad guys. And of course, Roger. The girls had studied the pictures avidly and talked strategy with their dads while said tough guys wore proud smiles on their faces.

Should they see any of these guys, they were to tell their dad's immediately. Both moms had agreed that when they'd given birth to their respective babies, they'd also given birth to the perfect little spies. Not many things got passed their babies. At the moment both kids were wearing camo pants and Silver Guardian T-shirts along with child sized baseball caps with the company logo's on the back...and just like they'd seen their dads do on occsion, both hats were facing backwards.

They'd never looked cuter.

Eric shut down the engine and took a deep breath. "We're walking into a shit storm in there. I can feel the chaos from here."

Wes nodded and took a sip from his thermos. "Yeah, I know...but that's never stopped us before. Not when our friends need us."

Eric nodded and took a sip from his own thermos. "It's nothing we can't handle. One thing at a time and then I'm gonna kick the ass of whoever started this mess."

Wes looked at the rear view mirror as the escort car pulled up behind them. "As long as you save one for me. I can't help thinking of what the parents must be going through. If it was Erynn in this mess, I don't know what I'd do."

Eric looked at him. "Never gonna happen, not when she's got the most bad ass uncle in the known universe."

Wes chuckled. "I don't know about the known universe. She loves her uncle Cole too...especially since he can talk to animals."

Eric just looked at him. "Yeah, right." He paused as he saw his wife getting out of the car and watched as she walked to the passenger doors. "Let's get going."

Both men sobered up and got out of the car taking their coffee with pulling all the luggage out of the car, they followed their wives, who were carrying their children to the front stairs of the house. Just as they approached, both Mischief and Psyche ran up to them and barked their own greeting.

Eric put down one of the duffle bags and scratched both pitbulls behind the ears. "Hey guys, it's good to see you again." Taylor laughed when Psyche licked his face. Wes only shook his head. Who knew that the brooding bad boy had such animal magnetism?

When the comical exchange was over, the humans walked through the door that had just been opened by a sober-faced Tommy. After both kids were settled on the big plush couches in the living room, both women joined their men in the kitchen were Kimberly was sitting with Ethan and Melanie. The former pink ranger was sipping a cup of coffe while absently stroking her belly which had gotten bigger since Christmas. Though she was luminous in her soft pink maternity blouse, her posture was that of a stressed out former ranger. She hadn't even looked up at the visitors when they walked into the kitchen.

Tommy now sat behind her on another stool as he massaged her lower back. Jen grimaced, remembering the lower back pain she'd endured at this stage of her pregnancy. She'd been lucky that Wes had been so attentive to her needs and had set up a private consultation with a professional masseuse who had shown him exactly how to soothe her back pain away.

Eric stood next to Taylor who had taken another stool next to hers and Wes stood on her side. They now circled the kitchen nook as the conversation started.

"So, whats the situation now?"

Tommy exhaled. "We're in a mess right now. Kyle is still in the children's hospital. The doctors wanted to keep him overnight to make sure that some kind of infection hadn't set in when that...idiot carved those marks into his arm. Tanya, Autumn, and Adam are up there with Rocky and Aisha to keep us updated on the situation. Kim and I are going to be heading up there in a little bit to relieve Tanya and Adam so that they can come back, get showered, and eat.

Kira and Conner are both messes right now. We still don't know how Roger found us as we're not listed and he was supposed to be in prison. Kira's locked herself in their room and Conner's taken up a post by her door. He's been there all night and she's called off the wedding.

Then there's Fred Kelmen. We've know him since he was a kid. He works as a detective in the hate crimes division. Yesterday he acted really strange when he showed up to investigative the attack. We really don't trust the police now.

That is all the latest, but we still have Andros and Ashley showing up with that specialist for Kailen, my great nephew. It's a huge mess and I'm not the only one feeling overwhelmed right now. We're both really glad you're here. The sooner we can figure it out, the better."

"We'll get to the bottom of this. Do you have the card sent with the flowers?" Asked Jen. "If we can find out which shop it came from, we could find out who actually bought them."

Kimberly nodded. "I hate trash diving, but as soon as we got here, I went through the garbage. The boquet came in a crystal vase and had fresh flowers in it. If I had to hazard a guess, the flowers could have cost upwards of a hundred dollars. I don't know much of how the prison system works, but I googled it and found out that prisoners don't get to keep their credit cards. They have a money system but it couldn't have been enough to send flowers, especially ones that cost that much."

Tommy nodded. "I spoke to Bryce, Kira's father and his lawyer tells us that the bail was set at more then 500 grand. If he did get out of prison, then he did it with help. The other thing that bothers us is that we're not listed in any phone book in Angel Grove. Not even online. We have absolutely no idea how they found us. What we do know is that someone is trying to force us out of our house. They've gone after Kyle...and whoever did that was some kind of neo-nazi. I'm scared to death of what could happen if they went after anyone else."

Eric took a sip of his coffee. "These are all scare tactics. Do we know who could be trying to force you out?"

Tommy shook his head. "I was there when we bought this manor, we hired a lawyer to make sure that everything was done legally and we also checked for any loopholes. This house is solidly ours."

Jenn sipped her latte. "And how much do you trust your lawyer?"

"We payed a small fortune to hire him." Kim said. "He came highly recommended. But then, that was over 15 years ago. Anything could have happened since then. That's why we kept an extra copy of the deed in a lock box in the secrurity room. It's locked up so tight that only Billy could get in and that requires both a retinal and fingerprint scan.

"That's were you keep your PR stuff too, isn't it."

Tommy nodded. "Yeah. That room was Billy's project when we started renovating this place. It's also why we'll have to get Billy here before we can even enter the room."

"Should we be expecting him?"

Tommy shook his head. "Not unless we call him. He and Kat had plans to take their son on a mini vacation. I gave him a heads up, but told him not to come. We have things under control here. Most likely, if he were to come it would be tomorrow."

Eric nodded. "For now, you guys can go ahead to the hospital and we'll start working on this. Conner and Kira are the most pressing matter right now. That's where we'll start."

Kim sighed. "Roger's note really messed her up. I couldn't get through to her and I'm her mentor."

Taylor gave Kimberly a steady glance. "Yeah, but we're not her mentors. Just leave it to us. We'll talk to her if we have to break down the door to do it."

Kim gave her an unsure glance.

Taylor grinned. "I'm a yellow. You can trust me."

* * *

><p><strong>30 minutes later<strong>

Once the Olivers had left, Jen and Taylor got to work making a comfort food style breakfast. Eric and Wes in the meantime were sitting at the table examining the card that came with the flowers. Kimberly had put it in a plastic baggie for them and Wes was on the phone while Eric spoke with Bryce who would be coming by later that day.

It didn't take long for Wes to secure access to the tapes, as long as he came in and showed proof that he was infact with the Silver Guardians. Jen was a brilliant stratigist and they had all decided that if they could get the men out of the house for a bit, then she and Taylor could get through to Kira and maybe save their relationship.

Tough Love was the name of the game.

When all was ready, the girls carried the tray to the top floor and had to smile at what they saw. Conner was laying on the make-shift cot and Kayla was sleeping next to him, holding a big teddy bear. Jenn grinned and knelt down on the floor gently shaking the little girl's shoulder.

Kayla yawned and opened her eyes. It took a few moments for her to fully awake and when she did she rubbed her eyes and looked up at Jen and Taylor with wide eyes.

"I didn't know you were coming."

Jen grinned at her. "We've come to help Kira and Conner. Can you wake him up for me?"

Kayla nodded giving them a grin and then she shook Conner's shoulder.

He was a bit tougher to wake up and try as she might, she couldn't make him stir.

Jen gave her friend a look and then motioned for Kayla to come stand beside her. With a look of curiosity, the little girl obeyed. When she was clear, Jen knelt next to Conner's head.

"ON YOUR FEET SOLDIER! YOU ARE DONE SLEEPING AND YOU WILL GET UP OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!"

Conner jumped to his feet in a red streak and blindly went into a defensive stance.

His eyes narrowed as he panted. "Do I know you?"

Kayla grinned at him. "This is Aunt Jen and Taylor."

Conner closed his eyes, forcing himself to remember what the tape had said.

"Timeforce...wild force..."

Taylor nodded. "Yeah, we're here to help you get Kira back. There's some breakfast downstairs and our husbands are waiting for you."

Conner looked ready to protest, but Kayla rolled her eyes and walked up to him and took his hand. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

Kayla didn't give her 'brother' a chance to say anything before she was dragging him towards the stairs.

When they were gone, Jen moved towards the door and knocked.

"Kira! Open the door or we're kicking it down!"

They both waited as they heard her moving about her room. A minute or two later, she opened the door.

Kira didn't look good. Her eyes were puffy and swollen, and her hair was a mess. She hadn't even bothered to remove her makeup.

Taylor looked at Jen. This was not good.

"Who are you?" She asked with a soft voice.

Jen smiled at her. "Friends. We're here to help you out."

Kira looked like she wanted to say something, but instead she only turned and walked back to her bed, sitting down quietly, leaning on the headboard.

Taylor took a deep breath. There was absolutely no fight left in the former yellow ranger...and that scared her. Jen followed carrying the breakfast tray. They walked into the room and sat on the bed.

Kira's eyes strayed to the food tray and at the same time, her stomach grumbled. Jen set the tray in front of her. "Eat up. You shouldn't go without food so long."

Kira only nodded and picked up the fork.

Jen sat Indian style in front of her. "So, wanna tell us why you're giving up?"

Kira flinched. She looked up at them with wide eyes. "Giving up?"

Taylor sat next to Jen. "Yeah, you cancelled your wedding and from the absence of a ring, you've broken off the engagement. So, I ask again. Why have you given up?"

Kira looked down at her food. "I'm not safe...and neither is Conner. I told him not to put the announcement in the paper. He said that Roger wouldn't get to me...but he did. He knows where we live...he could attack me again...or show up at the wedding and let everyone know how worthless I am. He won't hesitate to hurt Conner."

Jen looked at Taylor. This was bad...it was time to let go of the tough love routine and try something else. "Kira, you've let that idiot hold you down too long. It's time you saw Roger for what he really is."

When the yellow ranger looked at them in confusion. Jen smiled at her. "Close your eyes and take a deep breath."

When she complied Jen spoke again. "This guy you're scared of is nothing more then a man whose very good at playing mind games. Take away that power and he's defenseless and easily defeated. We're going to help you take away his power. Then you'll see this mountain turn back into a mole hill."

"How?" Kira asked.

Jen ignored her and sat in front of the younger girl as Taylor put the breakfast tray on the dresser.

"What happened the last time you saw him? Roger?"

At that question Kira's head shot up and she looked unseeing and she started to hyperventilate.

"He attacked mom. We went back to he house to get the Christmas presents and to get my communicator. But he was there and he attacked her."

Jen was listening intently. "And what happened after that?"

"I attacked him...I had to save Mom. He was hurting her."

Taylor narrowed her eyes. "And you kicked his ass, didn't you?"

Kira's face morphed into a look of satisfaction.

"Yeah, I did. I hurt my hand punching his lights out. I kneed him in the gutt too."

Taylor nodded. "What happened next?"

"He hit me and then he was on top of me...telling me I wasn't even worth raping. He called me a tramp..and a whore."

Taylor clenched her fist and forced herself to take a deep breath. They were on a good track now, but even then, she wanted a piece of the poser. Badly.

"And did he rape you?" Jen continued.

Kira shook her head still gazing at the wall. "No...that's when Conner found us. He went crazy and beat the crap out of him. We left him unconscious...and then we went home."

Taylor nodded knowing exactly what do say next. "And did you ever see him again?

Kira nodded. "At my father's guitar shop. He started telling Dad, that I was a whore and that I'd screwed every guy at school..that I was a whore." Jen smiled in satisfaction as Kira's voice shook with anger at the memory.

"And what happened then?"

"Dad told me to go inside and wait for him. Then the cops came and took him away."

"So he didn't actually hurt you...he only called you names. Is that right?"

Kira nodded and drew her legs up to her chest.

Taylor looked at Jen who continued. "He doesn't seem so scary to me."

Kira blinked and looked at her. "Huh?"

Taylor shrugged. "Just what I said, He's talks alot of smack. From his mugshot he's about 5'10 and only about 125 pounds. He's never been able to actually do more then land a few hits. The last two times he's tried to get to you, he got his ass kicked by you, Conner, and Bryce. So again, what exactly are you afraid of?"

Kira didn't know what to say, so she only looked at her feet.

Jen took her hand in hers. "I've seen you fight, and you're a bad ass yellow ranger." Saying this Jen took the little cellphone from it's place on the night stand and handed it to the younger ranger. "Now, it's time to take back what belongs to you."

Kira looked at the phone. "But what if he shows up..."

Taylor had enough. "Then my husband, Eric gets to show off how good his aim is. We're not only friends, but we're rangers ourselves...and we're both married to red rangers. And not only that, but according to your guest list, ever ranger from your mentor's team to your own team is gonna be there and an extra set of guards from our company. And add to that, the fact that everyone being invited has gotten an email with this guy's picture on it. No way will this guy get past us."

"So you see, the only one keeping this wedding from happening is you." Jen added softly.

Kira wanted so badly to make the call. She couldn't look the rangers in the eye. "But I gave Conner his ring back..."

"Oh my gosh" Taylor exploded. "Would you pull on your big girl panties already!"

Kira's head snapped up at the sudden noise. She wanted to shrink back on the bed from the Wild Force rangers exasperated look. But she had no where to go.

Jen stood up and put a hand on Taylor's shoulder. "Hey, I feel your frustraition. But raging at her is not gonna help anything. Her breakfast is getting cold, you should go reheat it...and give me a few minutes alone with this little girl."

Kira felt her face heat up and she ducked her head again.

When Taylor left the room Jen took her place on the bed again.

"I'm not a little girl." Kira said softly with a glare at her.

_Good. _Jen thought. _There's some of that fire I was looking for._

Jen shrugged her shoulders. "That's not what I saw when we walked in. I saw a cowed little girl that was afraid of the big scary monster in the closet. In fact, I should go and have Conner arrested for messing around with a minor."

Kira fumed. "I'm not a little girl. I'm effing 18 years old!"

Jen fought her grin. "Then prove it! Taylor and I have given you every key to freedom and you're still hiding from the bogey man. Do you have any idea how madly Conner McKnight loves you? He spent the night right outside your door. We had to force him to go eat breakfast...Kayla had to drag him down the stairs."

Kira was speechless and Jen pressed on. "Conner is a red ranger with the passion and heart to match. Wes wasn't much different than him all those years ago. I never realized how good love could be until I didn't have it any more. Though Alex was Wes' descendant, those two men were very different. Alex was very affectionate, but when he touched me, there was no fire. You see, in the future, more than 2000 years from now, marriage and even love has lost most of their meaning.

In my time, only rich families still kept with the old traditions. Most couples were swingers. Nothing but meaningless sex between couples. Love had such a different meaning then it does now. Even though Alex and I were to be married, I knew that the only reason was to continue our family line. He's descended from a line of power rangers and so was I. It's a known fact that even though I would produce an heir, that by no means meant that Alex would love me exclusively. He already had an eye on more than one other female. And at that time I was resigned to it. And then I was sent back in to the past and met Wes. Through the full year or so I was here in this time, Wes showed me more love and concern then Alex ever did...and I craved it. Every time I thought of Wes, my heart cried out for him and I was miserable. I lost all focus and nearly got myself killed. That was when my superiors called me in and told me I was being honorably discharged. It turns out that the warrior that was to take my place was in some weird way, my descendant...which means that to keep the future from being altered further, I needed to get back to Wes. That same week, I was sent on the Mute-org's mission. It was my cover...and I didn't tell Wes till the mission was over that I was there to stay. In no time at all, he proposed. We got married not even two months later...and let me tell you, the love he made to me was so hot and passionate that I can't even describe it in words. I've been told all my life how good sex could feel. But when real, honest love is added to it, the world around you implodes."

Jen looked back up at Kira and saw the tears in her eyes and saw the underlying need inside her.

Jen picked up the phone from where Kira had dropped it. "There's so much more for you two to discover then just love making. Your whole future is spread out in front of you. You say you're not a little girl, so prove me wrong and take back what's yours." Handing back the cellphone, Jen gave her a small smile and then walked out of the room. "Taylor's coming back up with your breakfast, when you've had your fill and if you want to talk, we'll be in the spa house. I've missed the jacuzzi." That was the last thing she said before walking out of the room.

Taylor shook her head at Jen's grin. "Eric is so much better."

Jen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well not everyone is into kinky leather and handcuffs."

Taylor only winked as she walked into the room with the breakfast tray.

Once breakfast was served, they gathered up their kids who had woken up by then and headed for the back yard.

Kira took one last sip of her milk and picked up her cellphone. She scrolled through her contact list and found Callista's number...and then she hit SEND.

Moments later the other end picked up. "Hello? This is Callista. How may I help you?"

"Hi...it's Kira...the wedding's back on."

* * *

><p>So, things have improved remarkably. So, leave me a review..m'kay?<p>

See you next chapter!


	20. Won't Let Go Pt2

**And so we continue, who's ready for some more hmm?**

**I know all of you are ready to see our couple back together, so I won't keep you long. **

**Special thanks again, goes to Mertmidnightangel for her mad editing skills!**

**I don't really think you guys need a warning for this chapter, if you know how I write! **

**You know what I own and what I don't, so go ahead and read on!**

* * *

><p>Wes leaned against the kitchen counter as Eric refilled his coffee cup. Their wives had just gone up the stairs to send Conner down to them. They had much to do and having the younger man with them would help get his mind off of his current heartache.<p>

They both flinched when Jenn's voice was heard...but then chuckled hearing Conner fumble around. Wes had to admit that he felt sorry for Conner. More than once during their tenure as rangers did they hear their pink ranger's raised voice. He, of course, was more turned on by it then actually intimidated. But he'd never said that aloud, at least not when the other rangers were around.

They both looked up moments later when their spitfire 'niece' dragged a drowsy and confused Conner down the stairs. He gave them a weary glance that lasted a moment before recognition sparked and he stood up a bit straighter.

"Oh hey, sorry guys, I should have realized you were here." He let out a yawn a moment later.

Wes grinned. "It's okay. You're not the first to receive Jenn's wake-up calls. Want some coffee?"

Conner shook his head. "Not really a coffee drinker, just give me a moment." As he said this he went over to the sink and pulled out a drawer next to it and pulled out a towel. He then turned on the tap and splashed his face with the cold water and patted his face dry. He took a deep breath and then turned to face the men who had come to help him.

"Ok, so what's first?"

Eric was about to answer when the opening of the back door was heard. When Conner's twin walked in carrying his son, the Silver Guardian did a double take.

Conner saw and answered the unspoken question. "Eric, this is my twin brother, Eric McKnight. And that's my nephew, Kailen." Then he frowned. "Um, is everything okay?"

Eric shook his head as he settled his slumbering son on the counter. "He had a restless night with everything that's going on. He fell asleep during our meditation this morning. We're supposed to meet with the specialist today, but I don't think he'll be awake for it."

Conner looked at him with concern. "You gonna be okay? Did you need me to stick around?"

Eric shook his head. "No, Dad's coming in today. He wanted to be here for everything. You need to handle business and take care of Kira. I'll be fine."

They watched as the single father carded his son's hair before he looked up at them. "Have you figured out who sent the flowers?"

Eric was glad for the change in subject. "We've got the card that was sent with the flowers, and Wes contacted the store, we're going to head there now, to see what we can find out."

It was then that Conner realized that he hadn't even showered once since the beach. As if reading the younger man's thoughts, Wes said, "It's okay, the meeting isn't for a few hours. We've booked a hotel room for the day. It's a good place to regroup, and it has a shower."

"Just let me grab some clothes from the laundry room." Conner said as he headed for the basement. As they waited, both Eric and Eric looked at each other.

"This is gonna be difficult," the older Eric said. The younger Eric nodded. "Yeah, I know. For the time being, I could just go by my middle name. It's Logan."

"Logan it is." Wes approved as Conner came up the stairs with a small duffel bag. He looked over at him. "All ready to go?"

Conner took one more longing look in the direction of his room and then looked back at the men. "Yeah, let's get to the bottom of this mess."

* * *

><p><strong>An hour later<strong>

Conner stepped out of the hotel bathroom feeling refreshed and more like himself. He had on a red button down shirt over a white undershirt and a pair of distressed jeans. Both men looked up as he walked in toweling his hair.

"Interesting choice of clothing," Wes remarked as Conner sat on the edge of the bed. "It's not what we expected of a teenager."

Conner shrugged. "It's a costume I wear when I want shop keepers to take me seriously. It helps the snottier ones to see past my age and know that I mean business. Thankfully, it's not been needed by the wedding vendors...so far."

"Ah, I'm glad you mentioned them." Eric said as he motioned towards the food tray that had been brought up. We're going to need a list of everyone you've hired for your wedding. We'll be doing background checks on them all."

The latest red ranger looked at them briefly before he started into his hearty breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage. He took a bite, chewed and swallowed as both older men took out legal pads and pens.

After taking a sip of milk, Conner looked at them. "We've been lucky when it comes to vendors. We kind of stumbled into them when I took Kira to the mall. The formal gown store is run by a sweet old lady named Alma. She's been a Godsend and she's an expert in Jujitsu too. She put us in contact with her network of friends who also run small businesses. One is a florist and her brothers run a mechanic shop. They're the guys who gave us that Hummer Limo that you saw in the garage earlier."

Eric looked up at him sharply. "And do you trust them? They could have easily put homing beacons on the limo and every car they've ever serviced for you."

Conner shook his head. "No, Bryce trusts them and I trust Bryce's judgment."

"Wes and I are gonna check everyone out anyway. We can't call ourselves good security if we don't double check everyone you've hired. It's nothing against them. You can smooth things over for us, can't you?"

Conner sighed. "Yeah, I don't see why not. This is a small town; we could probably visit them all today. But first I want to hit up that florist shop that sent the flowers. I swore to Kira that she would be safe and I'm not gonna fail her."

"Spoken like a true red ranger," Wes commented with approval. He checked his list again. "This is a small town, what do we know about these vendors?"

Conner finished the last of the eggs and took another sip of milk. "Alma's the guardian of Lief, who is dating Sapphire, the daughter of Topaz, who is a good friend of Bryce. Lief and Sapphire are both Goths and they both answer to the leader of the goths, the ones responsible for taking down the punk that attacked Kyle yesterday. Lief has also been attacked in the locker room before, though it wasn't as severe. He got cut everywhere and it almost led to him committing suicide. They've been good friends to Kyle and Autumn, and they're my eyes and ears at the school."

"Like spies?" Wes asked in confusion.

Conner shrugged. "It's why the whole goth thing works so well. Everyone looks at them like they're freak shows, and writes them off. They're a good source of information. After the first attack on Autumn, the whole flyer incident, they stayed behind and kept up with the tumult of rumors being circulated about them. It's how we know that Nina isn't much of a threat at the moment and we seriously doubt that she's any danger to anyone anymore. But we are concerned that her father and the principle are in league with whoever is trying to force us out. Kira and I did some reconnaissance and caught them on audio talking about getting rid of us."

Eric and Wes shared a look. "It wouldn't be a surprise if all these incidents were connected. That would wait till later."

"What about the wedding planner?" Wes asked. "You haven't mentioned her yet."

"Callista is connected to Alma, she was personally recommended to us by her. She's got her own issues as she's being slandered by a rival...and she's currently dating Zack. Last I saw of them, they were very happy. "

"Do you know anything else of her history?" Eric asked.

Conner told them everything he knew of her and they wrote it down. When they'd gone through all of the questions they could come up with, Conner finished getting dressed and they all left the hotel room and headed for the flower shop.

_Bloomer's Flower Shop _was one of the more fancy shops in Angel Grove. The owner met them as they entered the door. His name was Maxwell and he seemed just as fancy as his shop. It made Conner glad that he had dressed the part of wealthy fiancé. He was pretty sure that he would not have been treated very well had he come in street clothes.

Eric took the lead this time. He'd put his shield around his neck just before they got out of the car.

"I'm Eric Meyers of the Silver Guardians and this is my partner, Wes Collins. Are you the gentleman that we spoke to on the phone yesterday?"

The owner shook his head. "No, that was my son-in-law and the manager whilst I'm gone. He did pass on the message to me, so please, tell me Sirs, what can I help you with?"

Eric pulled out the baggie. "We've been hired to protect Mr. McKnight and his fiancée Kira. Yesterday she received a bouquet bought at this shop, by a man whom she has a restraining order against. A Mr. Roger Ford. We need to see the tape from your security camera to ascertain that it was him who came into buy the flowers and if it wasn't him, we need to know who it was."

The owner reluctantly took the baggie from Eric and looked at it with distain. "Yes, this card is from my shop, if you'll give me a moment to retrieve the laptop from my office, then I'll be happy to assist you." With that he hurried to his office and was back in a few more moments. He turned it on and called up the files. "That particular bouquet is one we don't sell every day. It's a very expensive arrangement, so it should be easy to find out when it was purchased."

Eric nodded and motioned to Conner to come over to them. Several minutes went buy and then the owner looked up at them. The man who bought the flowers came in at around 11:00 am yesterday." He spun the laptop around and enlarged the picture and showed it to them. Eric looked closely at the picture. "He fits the description, Conner. Is this Roger?"

Conner needed only to look for a moment. "Yeah, that's him, the bastard. He's not gonna get near my Kira again."

Wes put a hand on his shoulder. "No, he won't. We won't let it happen." He squeezed his shoulder and led a fuming Conner out to the car.

Eric looked at the owner again. "I'm going to need a copy of this file sent to the lawyer. We'll be pressing charges against Roger for breaching the restraining order. We don't know how he found out where she lives as the address isn't listed, so anymore flowers ordered for this address are to be turned away."

The owner nodded. "Very well sir. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Eric nodded. "Yes, I'll need a copy of the receipt."

"Coming right up sir, and I wish to apologize for the distress caused to the bride."

Eric shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary, you couldn't have known about what the effect of the flowers would have. However, if you want to make up for it, then we would like to be informed should any more flowers be ordered for this address."

"Very well then, but please pass on our well wishes to the bride and groom. I don't like any kind of taint put on our shop. We've been serving Angel Grove since its founding. To be used in such a way is very distressing."

Eric nodded. "I'll pass it on." He reached into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out his wallet, pulling out a business card with his cell phone number on it. "This is where I can be reached. If you want to make up for what happened, then you'll be sure to keep me informed."

The owner looked like he wanted to say more but instead he only nodded and took the card before handing over the receipt from the printer.

"Thank you, for your cooperation." Without waiting for another word, he walked out the door leaving the owner looking after him.

Wes sat next to Conner as he voiced his feelings. "I'm a horrible boyfriend. All this time I should have been sending her flowers of my own, and showering her in gifts...the wooing shouldn't have ended with her accepting my proposal. I know what my Kira likes and if I had been doing my job, she would have known they weren't from me"

Wes looked thoughtful. "It's not too late to fix that, you know. You said you had a florist of you own. We're going by the shop to touch base with the owners, so you could order something from them while we're talking to them."

Conner nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea...and it's been a while since I've given her gifts. A pretty gift wouldn't go resented either."

Eric walked up to the car and got in the driver's seat. "That's one loose end tied up. Where to next?"

Conner looked at him. "The Angel Grove Mall. We can meet up with Alma there...and do a little shopping while we're at it."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

><p>It was just before sunset when they arrived back at the manor. The car pulled up to the front and Conner hopped out. He turned to them.<p>

"Hey guys, thanks for everything."

"We're a family now...a spandex wearing family but family none the less. Family takes care of family. Now, go reclaim your bride." Then they headed for the garage.

Conner turned and looked at the house. _How was he going to get in?_ He doubted she would open the door for him.

The wall didn't look very climbable. He wished for a moment he had Ethan's hovercycle.

"If you're looking to scale the wall, why not use a hover board."

Conner spun around to see Andros standing there. "Space ranger?"

Andros nodded. "Yeah. I'm an ambassador now, but I still got the moves and the equipment to help you. My daughter's boyfriend offered me the use of the board. He's still trying to get in my good graces for my daughter's hand." Andros smirked. "He'll do anything to earn my permission."

"It's Andros right?"

"That's right. So you wanna do this or not?"

Conner nodded. "Yeah, so how do you work this thing?"

Kira looked up startled as she heard a tapping against the window. Instincts kicked into gear and she went into a defensive stance that she realized too late was one that Conner had helped her to practice when they first started. Kira closed her eyes and shook the thought away. Then opened her eyes again as the man she loved and pushed away appeared where the unobstructed view of the sunset had been.

"Conner?" she whispered. Her heart reacted and it took everything in her to not run to him as he softly smiled at her. She felt her need to be with him so keenly. She shook the thought away again and instead turned and hurried for the door. She had to escape from his presence, and the bathroom was the only place...she paused as she felt a rush of wind pass her and looked up to see her...to see Conner blocking her path. He turned and locked the door before spinning back to her.

"No Kira, no more running!" His eyes, while holding a gentle loving look also held a very determined look.

Her eyes streamed tears as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry! I was scared of what he could do if he found us!"

Conner swallowed thickly. His manly pride wounded at the thought that his woman doubted his ability to keep them both safe. But no, he could work on restoring his ego later. He was through holding back, he'd fought for her way too long to just give in and let that bastard rip them apart. He could feel a growl building in his chest as he took another step towards her...and she backed further away from him.

"I. Don't. Give. A. Damn, what he did. We're going to be married, I don't believe for a moment that you meant to cancel anything. I'm going to be your husband very soon, and that means more than just giving you my name. I'm your protection from everything. But that can't work if you won't let me do my job."

Kira chocked back an angry sob. "What job? Keeping Roger from finding me? I told you he'd come after us but you didn't listen to me! We sent out that freaking announcement, I believed you could keep me safe, but he got to me just the same!"

Conner growled. "I told you, I don't give a damn about that ass licker! He has no place in our relationship! None!" He took another step forward, only half way realizing how close to the bed they were. "Kira, when you said 'yes' I wanted to shout from the rooftops that you were mine. This wedding is more than just a ceremony to me. This is our time to celebrate. And I sure as hell won't keep quiet about this just to keep that _him_ away. I'm not hiding from him...and I won't let you hide either."

Kira shook her head. "I don't want to hide anymore."

But Conner was still in rant mode and he didn't really hear her.

"Rockstar, in this house right now are the leaders of the Silver Guardians. Your father hired them for the wedding, but they came here to help us out willingly. 80% of all the attendees are former rangers. No wedding has ever been more secure. That ass licker shows up and tries anything, and he'll find out just how far up his ass a gun can go. You want an escort to our honeymoon? Fine, we'll get it...I've even ordered in a private plane and I'm gonna make sure that everyone, from the pilot right down to the ground crew has a background check...I'll even go as far as enforcing a deep cavity search on everyone of them if I must."

Conner took a step closer and noticed with a small smile that Kira didn't step away from him this time. He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. "I can't live without you. Please, don't deny me."

With those last words, Kira's calm demeanor crumbled and she practically launched herself into his arms. Conner caught her just in time and held her close as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Don't let him get me." She whispered into his neck.

"Not a chance in Hell." He vowed. They were quiet for a few moments and then Kira looked up at him "I'm sorry."

Conner gave her a gentle smile. "All's forgiven. I know that this won't be the first roadblock. As much as I hope that this will be the only bump in the road we'll encounter, I know that our life together won't be a bed of roses, but if we stand together, we can take em on...just as long as we come back to this. Just you and me, open and honest..." He was cut off mid-sentence as Kira attacked his lips with a passionate kiss.

He groaned when she pressed her hips against him. He took a deep breath as his body responded to her. He didn't stop the kiss but opened one eye to remind himself where their bed was. He carried her over to the bed and gently laid her down on it.

She refused to let him go and instead rubbed herself against him...and it wasn't difficult to find out what she was trying to tell him. He was getting really good at reading his fiancée...his mate. He gently ended their kiss. "Kira, look at me." He said softly.

She did biting her lip.

"I know what you need, and even though I want us to wait to go all the way, I'm gonna make sure you're needs are taken care of."

Kira only nodded as he stood up and took off his shirt and then his jeans, leaving only his boxer-briefs on. Then he smiled at her and leaned down, helping her out of her PJ's. He paused as he realized that she'd done away with her plain briefs, and in its place was a pretty bikini piece...in red. He growled softly again and looked up at his bride. He kissed her gently again and said, "Rockstar, scoot up a little bit."

She gasped softly but did as he asked and in the next moment, he was hovering over her. "I'm gonna take good care of you. I'll guarantee it." Then he kissed her again and leaned down, and kissing her everywhere, not leaving a single area of skin un-attended to. Kira pressed herself against him when he gently took the tip of her breast into his mouth and sucked gently.

"Conner!" she gasped.

He let go of her and blew softly on the wet flesh. He gently smiled at her. "Yes Rockstar?'

"I need more. Please, give me more?"

Conner kissed her again and then gently pressed her into the bed. "Tell me what you need." He whispered softly.

"I need you...to make me...cum"

Conner kissed her again and looked down at her panties. They were extremely damp and now that he was focused on that area, he could smell her arousal. "That looks very serious..." He looked up at her again. "You need to lay back and relax." When she complied, he gently pried her legs apart, bending them at the knees, loving the sight of her spread wide for him. He kissed her again and then gently pressed himself against her, going slow at first, allowing himself to revel in her heat. This hadn't been the first time he'd seen her, but this was only the third time he'd been this close to her hot core. He paused for a second and pressed himself against her, rocking his hips and increasing the pressure.

"Yesss..." she hissed in relief as she felt the friction she'd craved. She pressed against him, delighting in feeling his shaft rubbing against her. Even though she'd never seen him without his boxers on, she could feel that his size was nothing to laugh at. Even through the thin layer of fabric, she could tell that when he finally slipped into her, he would stretch her. That very thought made her throb.

Conner noticed that she'd gotten even wetter then she was before. He paused as he looked at her darkened gaze. "Whatcha thinking about?"

Kira had no idea how to formulate her thoughts; she only looked at the spot where fabric met fabric. He grinned at her. He was getting close to the edge, and he wanted her to come first, and seeing how she was staring at his member, he spoke again. "I can't wait till feel how hot and tight you are. It won't be long till I can slip myself inside you and make love to you for real." He paused hearing her whimper and felt her pressing against him more. "This is us, right here. I never ever want you to keep your needs quiet. Once we're married, I'm gonna make sure you cum so many times that you won't be able to walk the next day. With every time you scream my name, with every orgasm I give you, I'm gonna make you forget every name but mine."

"Conner!" She whimpered.

He grinned at her. "You wanna cum now?"

Kira nodded franticly. Conner lowered himself to her neck again and bit her tender skin there, sucking gently. He loved seeing her so aroused like this. He paused and then rolled them both over so that she was on top and then he leaned up kissing her again. Then he said, in a commanding tone. "Then ride me...and don't hold back."

Kira cried out softly and then wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and then started rocking back and forth roughly. With each time they came in contact, he felt his control ebbing. He needed to make her cum and quickly so he reached between them and slipped a finger into her underwear, aggressively rubbing the little nub he found and within a moment, she came hard and all it took was for him to see the look on her face to have him shooting hot spurts into his own underwear. He grabbed her hips and thrusted up as she rode out her orgasm. It lasted only a minute more before she collapsed again him. He wrapped his arms around her.

She was panting as hard as he was, and yet he couldn't help but smile at the thought that what they'd experienced was just a sample of what was in store for him when they finally went all the way.

When both of them were breathing normally Kira kissed him again and let out a yawn. He kissed her gently again as they lay there on top of the covers. Another moment passed and he could see her eyes falling closed.

When he was sure she was asleep, he maneuvered her under the covers and then slipped away to clean himself off. When he returned to bed and climbed in, he grinned again when she cuddled closer to him. He wrapped her up in his arms and heaved a sigh of relief. He never ever wanted to part from her again.

Just one night was a night to many for him.

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><p><strong>So, I hope you are all pleased with the reunion; everything is as it should be with our favorite couple. I know all of you are concerned for Kyle and Autumn, and we will definitely get back to them in the next chapter.<strong>

**See you next chapter!**


	21. Interlude

**Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay. This isn't a long chapter, but I feel you guys deserved a little something to hold you over and this is a nice little something for just that purpose. This time around, writing credit goes to Mertmidnightangel for the excellant work. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p>The next morning, Conner opened his eyes at the feeling of Kira shifting against him. Smiling slightly, he untangled himself, carefully so as not to wake her, and grabbed some clothes before stepping into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Ten minutes later he opened the bathroom to check on Kira and make sure she was still asleep. Smiling to himself at the sexy picture she made, he let himself out of the room and made his way downstairs, where Tommy was enjoying a nice cup of coffee.<p>

"I take it things worked out last night?" Tommy greeted as Conner made himself a cup of hot chocolate.

Conner nodded. "It took some convincing, but I think I got through to her. " He shook his head. "We need to find Roger fast. I will NOT let him hurt her anymore."

Tommy nodded. "I got Eric and Wes on that, as you already know." He placed a comforting hand on his nephew's shoulder. "We'll get him, ok? And deal with whatever he decides to throw as us as he comes." Taking another sip of his coffee he regarded the former ranger. "Why are you up so early anyway?"

Conner finished his hot chocolate before responding. "I'm pretty sure I got Kira out of her funk, but Roger's little stunt got me thinking." He frowned. "I have an idea on how to help her more, but I need to run an errand first. Think you can help me out?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"A decent breakfast for Kira ready by the time I get back?"

Tommy grinned as he started figuring out what Conner was planning. "You got it, but you better hurry. No telling when that lovely lady of yours will wake up." Conner nodded as he grabbed his car keys, heading out the door.

Tommy chuckled to himself as Conner's car went down the driveway. "He's a red through and through alright. Reminds me of myself." Smiling, he reached for the flour.

Conner pulled up to _Courtesan's__ Flowers and Petals_ and turned off the engine. Stepping inside, his eyes found owner, working on arranging some of the flowers. Noticing Conner, she stood up. "Welcome back, Mr. McKnight. Here to pick up your order?"

"Yes I am. Is it ready yet? I'm kinda running on a tight schedule." He checked his watch and saw it was getting close to 9:30. Kira could wake up at any moment and he needed to hurry and get everything ready.

The owner smiled. "Of course, I just finished it 15 minutes ago. One moment." She went to the back room and came out carrying a glass vase with a lemon at the base. Inside was a beautiful arrangement of Sunflowers, coreopsis, and yellow daisies, accented here and there by white daisies. "I hope she likes it."

Conner grinned and pulled out his card. "It looks perfect. Thank you so much for getting it ready so quickly. "

The beautiful florist grinned at him. "This is not the first time we've had to make flower bouquets in a rush. I hope she likes them."

Conner left the shop and carefully set the flowers in the back where they wouldn't get hurt, then opened up the glove compartment and pulled out a small box. He opened it, once again admiring the contents within. Smiling slightly, he started the car and headed back for the mansion, praying Kira hadn't woken up yet.

Kira yawned and stretched as she opened her eyes, frowning slightly when she realized she was in bed alone. She was about to get up when there was a slight knock on the door. Quickly throwing on her discarded pajamas, she called out, "Come in!" Her eyes widened when she saw Conner come in carrying a tray of what looked like pancakes, orange juice, and one of the most beautiful bouquets of flowers she had ever seen. Sunflowers had always been her favorite. "Conner…"

"Morning, Rockstar," he said as he set the tray down on the bedside table. "Thought you'd be hungry when you woke up, so I had Dr. O make you some breakfast. Vanilla cinnamon pancakes with fresh orange juice. That and I thought I'd wake you up with something more than just a kiss." He pecked her on the cheek as he sat down next to her.

Kira swallowed the lump in her throat at his thoughtfulness. "You didn't have to do this, you know," she whispered softly.

"Of course I did," he replied. "That ass clown got to you because I was forgetting to do stuff like this for you. It was my fault he got to you so completely, and I'm not letting that happen again. I'm gonna do this right, Kira, starting with the flowers." He gestured towards the bouquet on the tray. "He doesn't even know your favorite flower, whereas I do. And I am gonna prove to you just how special you are to me." With that he pulled the box from the glove compartment out of his back pocket and handed it to her. "Kira Kinderson," he began, making her look up at him. "I promise you here and now, that no matter what, I will always love and protect you. That man, and I use the term loosely, will never be allowed to hurt you again." He opened the box, Kira's eyes widening at what lay inside. "Will you please accept my apology for my failure and give me another chance?"

A few stray tears fell down Kira's face as she looked at the necklace. It was a white gold heart shaped locket with 4 diamond hearts surround by an almost celtic knot design. "Conner, it's beautiful." She pulled him close and kissed him. It wasn't heated, but warm and passionate, both of them feeling it in their toes. "Of course I accept it."

He grinned as he carefully placed the locket around her neck, and then moved the tray to where it now sat in front of her. "Eat up, Rockstar. Dr. O says we're having a big cookout tonight, so we've been conscripted to do the grocery shopping." Kira giggled as she hurriedly finished the wonderful breakfast. When she was finished, Conner moved the tray back to the bedside table then grabbed Kira as she made to leave the bed. "Oh no you don't," he mock glared at her. "I want more than just that one little kiss." Grinning, he pulled her close and proceeded to devour her mouth, making Kira moan. She had just pulled back to catch her breath when the door burst open.

"KIRA!" screamed Kayla as she barged in. "Why did you cancel your wedding?!" She looked at her big sister and saw her cuddled up with her big brother. "Uh…..oops?"

Kira and Conner both laughed at the expression on Kayla's face. "Come here, little ninja," Conner said, patting a spot on the bed. Kayla bounded up and sat on Kira's lap, glaring at the both of them. "What's going on?"

"Conner talked some sense into me, that's all, Kayla," Kira replied. "I got scared when I realized that Roger had found me, and I panicked." She hugged the girl close. "But don't worry, I'm not letting that happen again."

Conner grinned. "That's right. She's got you and me to protect her. And we're gonna make sure that jerk doesn't get anywhere near her, right?"

Kayla grinned. "You bet." She glared at Kira again. "You let that creep get to you again, and I'll sic Mommy on you, got it? Now come on, you guys, we got shopping to do! Daddy gave me a list of what we need and he says you guys get to go get it. Now come on!" With that she bounded out of the room to go find Kailen.

Conner and Kira laughed. "A real bundle of energy that one," he remarked. "Well, go get dressed, and I'll meet you downstairs." He kissed her again before heading down. Kira smiled as she watched him leave before heading for the bathroom.

Kira came down to see Kayla playing with Kailen in the living room while Eric and Conner both sat in the dining room eating a quick meal of Dr. O's pancakes. Kimberly was sitting at the kitchen counter drinking orange juice. "Morning, everyone," she said as she joined them.

"Feeling better?" asked Kimberly as she down the last of her glass. Kira nodded. "Good, cuz we need you and Conner to go get supplies. We're having a barbeque tonight, and we invited some friends of ours who apparently have some explaining to do." At Kira's questioning look, she elaborated. "One of our friends works at Angel Grove PD and tipped us off that something is going on out there. We're using this as an excuse to invite him over so we can get some answers."

"Ah," Kira nodded. "I take it this has to do with how they handled what happened to Kyle?" Kimberly nodded.

"What I don't understand is why they did that," said Conner, finishing up his own breakfast. "I mean, isn't it their job to prevent stuff like this?"

Eric frowned. "Money has to be changing hands somewhere. I mean, it was WAY too convenient the way things went down."

"Speaking of, how is Kyle?" asked Conner.

"He should be home later this afternoon," replied Tommy. "They kept him overnight to make sure he was ok."

Kimberly sighed shakily. "I can't believe someone would do that to him, for no reason." She refilled her orange juice and took a big gulp. "They deliberately scarred his arm with hate symbols. Who does something like that? Especially to a kid?"

"There are plenty of racist sickos out there, Kim," said Tommy as he finished making the last of the pancakes. "I had my fair share to deal with in elementary school, before we moved out here." Kimberly frowned. Tommy placed the frying pan in the sink and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, don't worry, Beautiful. Kyle's a tough kid, and he'll pull through this. Besides, all this worrying isn't good for the baby." Kim nodded as she leaned against him. She knew they'd pull through, and they all had each other to rely on.

Conner rinsed his dishes then put them in the dishwasher. "Come on, Rockstar, let's go get some grub." Grinning as she laughed, he headed for the garage. "Hey little ninja, you coming?"

"Can Kailen come too?" Kayla asked. She really liked playing with her new cousin, and she felt bad after hearing that his mommy was so mean to him. She was determined to break him out of his shell

Conner exchanged a quick look with Eric, who nodded his permission. "I don't see why not." He knelt down to the boy's level. "You ever ridden in a car that can take its roof off?"

Kailen's eyes almost popped out of his head, earning a laugh from his uncle. He looked at his dad, who grinned at him.

"If you wanna go, then go," said Eric.

Kailen smiled shyly at his uncle. "I'll come. I haven't seen a car without a roof before."

"Well, then, you're in for a treat." He scooped the boy up and led the way to the car.

Tommy grinned as he watched them take off. "He's gonna make a great dad someday, you know that?"

Kim nodded. "He's so protective of Kailen already, and you saw how he was when Kyle got hurt." She grinned. "Once a ranger, always a ranger.

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><p><strong>I promise that the next chapter will be longer and even more fascinating Until then, catch you all later!<strong>

**Visual inspirations can be found on my facebook page. **


	22. From The Ashes

**Hey guys, thanks again for the patience you've given me. It's taken some time to get centered again, and so I'm back with another chapter. This is gonna be a bit rough as we're dealing with the after math of any kind of abuse. Kyle's gonna be using some rough language though he's only thinking it in his head. Rocky is also feeling kind of raw so he's not gonna be the happy-go- lucky guy we all love. That will come later when all of this stuff is resovled. **

**Also, I want to once again, give props to Mertmidnightangel for getting this back to me as quick as she did. **

**To prevent confusion, I want to remind everyone that in the scenes where Eric McKnight is present with Eric Myers, Eric McKnight will be referred to by his middle name: Logan. **

**Lastly, I want to post a warning for the language used in this chapter and to remind everyone that I don't own the Power Rangers in any way, shape or form...I'm not making anything from this fic, and the only things I lay claim to are the OC's and the plot. That being said, please enjoy and see me at the bottom!**

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><p>He looked down at his forearm again. He knew what lay under the bandages. That was the elephant in the room, for his parents and for him. Kyle hated that he'd been marked like that. It was bad enough that he'd been attacked, in the locker room of all places.<em> It was so freaken' cliché, but what worse was that the slimy fucktard had carved such horrible marks on him...ones that were an insult to him, his parents, and the girl he loved. They'd tried to make him their bitch...and he refused to let them win. They would not have this victory. <em>Deep inside him, he made a vow right then and there._ He'd used this incident, and turn it back on them...every single one of those effing messed up racist idiots out there. They would not win!_

Suddenly he felt someone put their arms on him and he reacted instantly. He grabbed the arm and started twisting them. "No, don't touch me!"

Rocky gritted his teeth. "Okay son, you can let go of me now. There's no danger here."

Kyle froze and instantly released his hold on his dad's arm. "Sorry Dad. I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay son. I kind of expected that reaction. That's why I grabbed you and not your mom."

"Dad, I'm not a freak. I'm not gonna go crazy on you or anyone else!"

"And just now?" His dad raised an eyebrow.

"Dad, some loser nazi freak attacked me in a locker room, one of the most cliché places ever...and from behind...then he carved disgusting marks on my arm, and it will never go away. I think I've earned the right to be a bit jumpy, okay?"

"And that right there is the issue." Said a different voice...this voice belonged to a woman just a few years older than Aisha. She had a slightly rounded figure and stood just a head shorter then Rocky. Her beautiful auburn hair was pulled back in a pony tail and she wore a leather vest over what looked like an old worn concert t-shirt. She wore a pair of lose fitting jeans with holes in the knees along with some feminine looking hiking boots. Her beautiful blue eyes keyed in on the people in the room.

"Dr. Nadine?" Rocky asked.

The woman smiled. "Not a doctor today. But I did come up here to check on you." She paused to grab the chart of the end of the bed and sat down on a little stool and looked over it. She skimmed it and then looked up at the parents. "I'm sorry that I didn't come by before. My husband is really romantic and decided I needed to be stolen away for the last few days. He didn't even allow me to take a cellphone with me. It wasn't until we got home this morning that I knew anything had happened. I'm not even supposed to come in today, but I heard one of my best patients ended up being brought in." She put the clip board on the end of the bed again and then glanced at Kyle's arm again. "I'm sorry that this happened to you. To all of you. This looks pretty rough." She glanced at the parents. "But what I'd like to do is set up an appointment at your earliest convenience to discuss your options for getting this brave young man back on track."

Aisha nodded. "What exactly are our options?"

"I see from the reports that he got really carved up. I don't have to look at them to know they're bad. Dr. Liam is a very good doctor and a trusted friend. Just his notes alone tell me everything I need to know. When it comes to violent attacks of this nature, a psych eval will be first priority, to determine if he has PTSD. Then we can discuss what do to about the cuts on his arm. The marks won't go away, but they can be covered up. Once we get a plan together, I can get you a referral to a good cosmetic surgeon. If we can't get rid of..."

"No. I don't want a surgeon," Kyle interrupted. "I've seen the reality shows...it'll take a long time for skin grafts to heal. I can't defend myself or anyone else if I'm stuck in a hospital bed. "

The doctor smiled at him. "Okay, so if you don't want to do skin grafts, what would you like to do? I won't order anything that you guys don't want to do. So, I'm all ears." Saying this she rested her chin on her hand and waited patiently.

"I want a tattoo...I don't want to pretend like all this didn't happen. Even if it was covered up, I'll still know that it's there. Nothing will make it go away. So why not just take the ugly marks and make them into good ones instead?

Rocky looked at his son slowly and then at the Doctor. "Is that even legal?"

Doctor Nadine looked at them all for a moment and then took a deep breath. "In the state of California there are laws against minors getting tattoos, no matter the reason." Saying this she paused and adjusted her sleeve. There on her wrist was the medical symbol for her profession. "No tattoo studio in this state will willingly comply with your request. I'm sorry to tell you that skin grafting may be your only option. As a doctor I can't condone this."

Rocky sighed in acceptance. "My son shouldn't have to go through life with that mark on his body. Surely there is some other alternative?"

Aisha however was studying the woman before them with a critical eye. Nothing was adding up. The doctor was a walking contradiction! She narrowed her eyes. "Thank you. We understand completely. "

Rocky gave her an incredulous look. "We do?"

Aisha was nodding. "Yes, there are always alternative methods. We just have to find another lead."

Nadine looked relived. "I'm so glad you see it that way." She looked at her watch. "Well, my husband is waiting down below, we're going to get some breakfast. Once you get Kyle's discharge papers, give me a call and we can set up an appointment. I'm sure we can find some other leads."

Rocky stood up when his wife did and watched as the doctor wrote something on the back of a business card and then handed it to Aisha.

"I've got a new cellphone number. We'll be in touch."

Rocky was even more confused as Nadine walked over to Kyle and squeezed his shoulder gently. "We'll get this all sorted out. But in the meantime, you need to get better. I'll see you soon okay?"

Kyle looked at her for a moment. "Okay."

Nadine smiled at them all one more time and then turned and walked out of the room. That was when Aisha knew that her instincts were right. There on the back of her vest was Raven sitting upon a writing desk, only instead of an ink well, there was a tattooing gun. Underneath the picture were the words Underland Ink Emporium.

Yes, she'd been right. And now nothing looked bleak at all. She looked down at the card and smiled.

**"Follow me down the rabbit hole."**

She laughed softly and then handed it to her husband, just as the ER nurse walked in.

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><p>Eric McKnight walked out into the rose garden. Kimberly had told him just a week before that the flowers would bloom sometime in April and then he'd be in for a treat! He followed the little path that led to the west side of the garden and stopped under the wooden archway. There before him was a medium sized gazebo. Adam and Tanya were sitting across from the most beautiful girl Eric had ever seen! She laughed at something Adam said and then giggled when Tanya bumped his shoulder.<p>

Due to the drama going on that past couple of days, the meeting he was supposed to have had with the specialist had been postponed. It gave everyone time to get their heads together, and apparently time to get the goddess before him settled in. Eric couldn't move.

It was then that Adam looked up at him. "Morning! Come join us!"

Eric swallowed and then mentally shook himself. He was done acting like a horny teenager drooling over the hot new girl. She was here only to help him understand what was going on with his son, nothing more. The last thing he needed was to fall head over heels for the beautiful...for the specialist. He took a deep breath and walked towards the gazebo.

On closer inspection the wooden beams of the structure were dressed with netting, obviously to keep the bugs away and to let the cool air in. As he approached he saw that the wooden beams were not wood at all, they had a slight sheen to them. Whatever the structure was made of was definitely not from dear old Planet Earth. He stepped into the space home and was greeted by the beau...woman. She was definitely not from here. She had bright blue eyes and her honey blonde hair was woven into an elaborate pattern that ended at the nape of her neck.

She was dressed in a soft ivory colored blouse with a neckline that hugged her body and then softly flared out at the hem and the sleeves. Under this top that gave her a fairy tale look, she wore a pair of black leggings that he had to force himself to look away from.

She was, in a word: Gorgeous!

Eric swallowed hard and forced himself to look at her face. "Hi, I'm Eric McKnight. My son is Kailen."

She graced him with a smile. "Good morning! I wondered when you'd show up. My name is Iris." She looked about him. "I was hoping I'd be meeting your son as well."

Eric shrugged. "He's with my brother, Conner and our cousin, Kayla. They were headed to the store to get some food for the cookout tonight. She's really good about getting him out of his shell."

The beauty sitting in front of him gestured for him to have a seat. "Has your son been shy all of his life?"

Eric nodded his head. "From the moment he was dropped off, he's kept to himself. It took me a while to get him to even talk, but once I learned to speak his language, he latched onto me. I was relieved that he wasn't afraid of me anymore, and we were able to bond quickly, but then I realized that he never left my side. Whether I was training with the other ninjas at the academy or just hanging out with Cam and the others, he just sat there watching my every move.

He never engaged in any of our conversations. He was always quiet as a mouse. I was worried that he'd never be able to have a chance at normalcy, but then we came here and already Kayla has managed to break through his wall and get him to play. This was a big step today for him. I can't help but feel relief."

Iris nodded in approval. "That's a good step for him to take. Keep that up and he'll be adapted to this world in no time. Now, there was something I wanted to ask."

Eric nodded. "I'm all ears."

"Adam was telling me about the incident at the restaurant where Kailen prevented a cup from falling. Has there been any other kind of instances where his telekinesis has emerged?"

"Not out in public. But ever since we found out he could move things like that, we've made it a point to practice them in the garden. I bought a few bouncy balls and he practices levitating them. We do at least 30 minutes of mediation and breathing exercises. It's been a constant all of his life. The only exception has been the morning we had to catch the plane. It's something that we've done every morning since we first noticed his powers. He kind of freaked out when the cup incident happened at the restaurant. He thought he was in trouble and started begging my forgiveness. It took me at least 5 minutes to reassure him that he wasn't in trouble. We were the only diners in the room and all of us have secrets to keep."

"Ah, your secret identities."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, at least _they_ do. I have my wind ninja abilities, but that's about it."

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><p><strong>Meanwhile at the Walmart<strong>

The shopping was done and everything on the list was in the cart...and then some. But now it was time to go home. As an extra treat, they'd each gotten their choice of candy and soda. Kailen had been a little more reluctant and it took Conner seeing the young boy eyeing the Nestle Crunch bar to realize that the young boy wasn't going to verbally ask for it. All the same, Conner took the chocolate bar and put it in the basket and headed to the checkout lane.

Of course, more drama started up when they were headed towards the exits. Up ahead, they saw a young girl running for the door, with a store clerk running after her. "Ma'am, stop! You didn't pay for that!" The girl turned her head and as a result didn't see the guy pushing the carts toward them. The collision was massive! He pushed the cart towards them and saw to his shock that it was Nina on the ground. She looked up panic stricken as the manager reached for her and roughly yanked her to her feet. Conner glanced at the merchandise and blanched when he saw the pregnancy test she had in her hand.

_ No way!_

Making a snap decision, he pulled the cart over and walked up to them.

"Hey guys, wait a second. That's a friend of mine."

The Walmart guy held out a hand. "I'm sorry sir, this is none of your business. Now, let me do my job."

"I know, but obviously she needed the test, allow me to pay for it." Thinking quickly, he pulled out his wallet and handed over a 20 dollar bill. "Here, keep the change." When the worker opened his mouth to protest, Conner pulled out a 50. "Here, for your trouble. No harm has been done here."

That was enough to end the tension and the worker only looked at Nina once more. "This is a onetime thing, ma'am. See to it that you never shop lift again." Then he turned back and headed into the store. Conner released a sigh and then looked to see that Nina had fled the scene.

Shaking his head, the ex ranger walked back to the cart where the kids sat wide eyed, having seen everything.

"Why did you give that man money?" asked Kailen.

"This was an emergency situation. In times like this, money talks. And this just gave me some important intel. But for now, let's get back to the house."

Two hours later Rocky and Aisha ushered their son into the house. Adam and Tanya were there to meet them. They'd expected their friends to look upset and frustrated. Instead, the parents only looked tired and yet they held a tiny spark of hope in their eyes.

They watched as Kyle approached the steps and took his shoes off at the door. He gave them a tiny bow and then walked passed them before hurrying up the stairs towards his room.

"That can't be good." Tanya said softly.

"I have a strong feeling that the screw ball who did this left more than just scars on his arm." Rocky said. As he took off his own shoes and carried them indoors along with his son's. When they were seated in the kitchen, Rocky took a sip of his soda and then eyed his best friend. "What's been done to bring this creep to justice?"

"Before I tell you anything, you should know that we've been hit on two fronts. Not only did that neo-nazi freak attack Kyle, but somehow, Roger has come against Kira. He's out of jail and he'll come after her the first chance he's got. Eric and Wes from the Silver Guardians are on the case. We've only just gotten that little crisis handled. We're having a cook out tonight so we can re-group and figure out where to go next. I know it doesn't seem like much right now, but once we've gotten our heads together, it won't take long to get a plan of action going. We're not going to turn the other cheek this time. Those guys have kicked the hornets' nest, and they'll get their asses stung for sure."

Rocky sighed and laid his head on the counter while Aisha rubbed his neck. They looked for all the world like stricken warriors that just got a chance to rest. Tanya grimaced.

"Why don't you guys go and take some alone time for yourselves. We'll keep an eye on Kyle in case he comes out of his room.

Aisha gave her friend a grateful look, and then she took Rocky's hand in her own and led him towards the stairs.

When they were gone, Conner walked into the room with Kira's hand in his own. No one spoke a word and it felt like a heavy cloud had descended over the house.

* * *

><p><strong>An hour later <strong>

With Rocky unavailable to play Grill Master, Tommy took over with Jason who had come in an hour earlier to help out. Billy and Kat were on the way; David and Shawna and their offspring would be there soon. To Logan, the only non-ranger in the house, this seemed more like a war council then a cookout. Finally, with the food on the grill and the kids inside watching TV in their loft, the adults gathered around in a circle.

Conner was the first to speak up. "I have some intel to offer." When he saw he had their attention, he continued. "When we were leaving the store, we saw Nina Rickshaw trying to lift a pregnancy kit. She was freaking out when the manager tried to manhandle her. This wouldn't be anything to me, but she wouldn't have needed to steal if she had her daddy's credit card. That tells me that her dad doesn't know about it. And that day that we saw that meeting between her dad and the principle, they talked about ways to run us out of town. I can't put my finger on it, but I have a gut feeling that there is more to that story then we can see."

Eric wrote all that down. "Okay, so who _is_ Nina Rickshaw?"

"She's the daughter of Mr. Rickshaw. He's the guy trying to force us out of this house and Angel Grove." Conner answered. "Just a few weeks ago, Kira and I observed him having some secret meeting with the school principle. We got it recorded and everything. From what we heard, he was the one that got her that job. She answers to him and she's the one who separated Kyle and Autumn after that flyer incident."

Eric nodded again.

"I think she might have known the attack was coming." Adam interjected. "She had the kids' expulsion papers all ready to go. Not even a moment after the ambulance showed up, she had her secretary hand them to us."

Wes frowned. "They sure are putting extra effort into getting rid of you guys." There has to be more to this then just wanting your house."

"It's prejudice." said a new voice. They all turned around to see Fred approach. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you guys sooner, but I'm being watched like a hawk."

Fred was in his plain clothes now. He looked like hell in his wife beater undershirt and green cargo pants. A Hawaiian shirt hung loosely over that...or it would have if there wasn't a baby sling wrapped around his torso. Inside, his infant son, Jamie, slept soundly.

"What's all this?" Tommy asked. "Where's Kara?"

"She went for a spa day. I'm paying penance for the most gawd-awful trip to the bar last night."

The older man narrowed his eyes. "But I thought you didn't drink anymore?"

Fred sat down on the bench and gently carded his son's hair. "I don't; at least, not willingly. Not since that binge all those years ago."

Tommy frowned. "You better tell us everything."

Fred nodded. "The first thing you should know is that delayed police presence at the school was deliberate. About three years ago, just after my dad retired, things changed. A new police chief was brought in to take his place. Chief Rowlands put out bad vibes from the start. I didn't realize it then, but every so slowly the men I trained with all those years in the academy were promoted or reassigned. The new police officers were different, not to mention that every single one of them were white. Not a single African American, Asian, or Latino."

Fred gently kissed his son's head. "I didn't realize how bad things were till the night my partner was killed."

Adam nodded. "You're talking about Zeke?"

The younger man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yeah."

The young police officer looked at Eric and Wes. "My partner Zeke was Jewish. He didn't hide his heritage from anyone. When he was off duty he sported his kippah and always had the Sabbath off. His family is kind and generous. More than once, they invited our family to celebrate Passover and Rosh Hashanah with them. His wife is an amazing cook too. When the new police chief arrived, he made life hell for him. He tried to make him work on the forbidden day and tried to order him to remove his head covering. Zeke never was one to back down. He sought legal help and when the lawyer threatened a lawsuit, the chief backed down.

We thought everything was going to be okay, and then one night, we got a call to break up a public disturbance at the bar, the same bar I was forced into last night. When we tried to break up the fight, someone pulled a gun and shot him. I fired back and caught him in the chest. He died instantly. That would have been the end of it all, except that when I checked the guy's vitals, I saw the ink. I won't even bother to tell you what it was. They both died that night. I was given some time off as he was my partner, but when I came back to work, I found myself saddled with the partner I have now. The only reason I'm still on the roster, is that I'm white and so is my wife."

Wes sighed softly. "I'm sorry for the loss."

Fred nodded. "I am too. But what's important now, is that you guys know that you're on your own. The other guys have tried to indoctrinate me and force their views on me. I've kept my head low since that night. I can't ask for help because I don't know how far the corruption has spread."

Eric nodded. "And what of the bar hopping last night?"

"I'm one of the only original cops left, and I don't share their views. My guess is that they wanted me good and drunk so that I couldn't tell you guys anything. Thankfully, Kara is my back-up. I 'drunk dialed' her and started talking dirty to her...all the stuff a normal husband would tell his wife when intoxicated. The only thing, is that Kara knows that we keep all bedroom related stuff to ourselves. My drunk dialing was our pre-arranged signal...and so when that happened, she drove down to the bar and proceeded to read me the riot act and 'dragged my drunk-ass to the car.' "Fred air quoted the last few words with a smirk. "She yelled at me and demanded a spa day for everything I put her through. I left with her then and we went home. My wife is an amazing actress and they bought her diatribe hook, line, and sinker. The only thing we had left to do today is to carry out the plan. She got a free spa day and I got my chance to come here and fill you guys in."

Conner winced. "Sound's brutal."

Fred smirked. "It would be for anyone else. For me, it was the hottest thing I'd ever witnessed."

Eric coughed into his hand and Fred sobered instantly. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Now, is there anything you can tell me about the guy you took in?"

"He's still in lockup, but not suffering in the least. He's got a private cell. They call it solitary, but I know he's being given special privileges. I've seen more than one officer bring him food that you can't get from the kitchens.

"You mean to tell me that Asshat that attacked my son is sitting pretty in the lap of luxury?" They hadn't heard Rocky come out to the backyard, but they all flinched when he raised his voice. "Where in the hell is the-"

"Justice?" answered Fred. "There is none. Not in Angel Grove."

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><p><strong>So, I know this is a pretty full chapter, but try and keep up with it. Give me your thoughts in the little box below and let me know what you think about all of this!<strong>


	23. The Pheonix Shall Rise

**Hey Guys, this will be the last chapter for the year. I know it's really short but I didn't feel like it was a good idea to put any more plot into this chapter then I did. I consider this a major turning point in the story.**

**I gave Mertmidnightangel a break so she can enjoy the holidays with her family. So all mistakes are my own fault.**

**I'm leaving on vacation very soon so I want you all to have a wonderful holiday season no matter which one you celebrate. Have a happy and safe new years! **

**I want to remind everyone that for the sake of my sanity, I've changed Eric McKnight's name to Logan and have decided to go ahead and keep that name from now on. It's his middle name so it shouldn't bother too many purists out there. LOL**

**This chapter contains harsh language. You have been warned!**

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><p>Continued from chapter 22...<p>

_"You mean to tell me the Asshat that attacked my son is sitting pretty in the lap of Luxury?" They hadn't heard Rocky come out to the back yard, but they flinched when he raised his voice. "Where the hell is the-"_

_"-The justice?" asked Fred. "There is none, not in Angel Grove."_

Everything was quiet and tense for a few moments...and then Rocky exploded. My son is gonna be scarred for life and that punk ass bitch is getting fillet mignon and mashed potatoes! What, are they giving him back massages and a few whores to bang with too?"

Eric shot up from his seat the same time that Tommy did and began walking towards their friend as he glared at Fred who was looking at his son again. Rocky snarled at him and they stood between the two. Aisha rushed out to the patio and put both arms around his waist. Rocky snarled again but when Aisha started talking in his ear, he froze.

"Come with me, I have a better place for you to let off steam."

Logan and Conner, in twin fashion raised eyebrows at the same time while Aisha led her husband to the dojo.

"I'll never look at the dojo the same way again." Logan muttered softly.

Jason scoffed. "He wouldn't be the first to use the building that way. It's better then scarring the kids for life."

"Really?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah, the guys took me in there and put my ass through a hell of a work out before I got a good talking to."

Logan gave his twin a funny look.

Tommy rolled his eyes. "It's not what it sounds like, get your mind out of the gutter okay? We've all used that place to let our rage out. We burn all our anger out and yell and scream all we want. The walls are sound proof so none of the kids can see displays of aggression."

Fred gave him a look. "I wish I would have known about this place back when I needed it after the funeral."

"Your a non-ranger, the things we've seen during our time as rangers are enough fodder to have nightmares about." He paused and Fred's eyes widened. "We use that place for more then just katas and sparing matches." Tommy finished as he gave the younger man a look.

The other rangers looked astonished as their pseudo leader revealed his identity to the young man. Tommy ignored them. "You're in way over your head and you know it."

Fred sighed and smoothed the hair on his son's head.

"It figures. You guys are top notch fighters, who else in the city had your skills?"

"I had a reason for telling you that. You're okay now, but if things go south and you become compromised you'll be in a lot of danger...and your family too. You need to know that you have the option of coming here if you need it. There's no safer place in Angel Grove...and if we have to, there's not a single ranger in our time that would would ignore a call to arms."

Fred looked all around him. "That means all of you are rangers?"

Logan shook his head. "Not all of us, though I've trained with the Ninja Storm rangers. I'm Connor's twin but he's the one with the ranger power."

"I'm out of it too, I'm afraid." David answered, though I'm a second generation shaman in my tribe. My wife and kids are civilians too."

"We're getting off track here," Tommy said re-gaining everyone's attention. He turned to Fred again. "Do you and your wife have an emergency plan?"

Fred nodded, looking down at his son who had woken up and was making little whimpering noises. "Kara and I both have police training, though she worked down in the SVU until she took Maternity leave."

Fred paused as he reached into the 'diaper bag' he brought with him. Though it was really just a re-purposed book bag which amazingly featured the Original Megazord. He pulled out a bottle of milk. Seeing that, Kimberly walked up and offered to heat it up in the microwave. He smiled his thanks, handed it over to the original pink ranger and then continued.

"Her grandfather loved to fish and hunt and had a small cottage in the woods over in Montana. Before he died, he left it to Kara. We took the nest egg and used it to update the cottage, fitting it with solar panels on the roof and even bought a generator that feeds on the energy from the solar panel. If we needed to go off the grid, we'd go there. There's a big fireplace and plenty of wood to burn and Kara is good at hunting too. We wouldn't starve."

Tommy nodded. "You have a safe haven here if you needed it too. It looks like we're up against more then just a bunch of white supremacists. We need to make a plan of action and decide how we're going to go about keeping our families safe."

Kira sighed and leaned into Conner's arms. "We'll have to call of the wedding, won't we."

"No. You won't have to go that far." Eric said looking at them. "You only get married once. At least in the ranger family. Your wedding is also the cover for our presence here. The fact that we're all rangers is a secret that few people outside of us knows about. To the outside world, this is just a big name wedding and rich people call for The Silver Guardians all the time for special occasions like this. Wedding Crashers and The Papparzzi are a constant nuisance. It would be nothing to take it a little further and have a temporary body guard with you whenever you're outside the manor.

Even the police wouldn't be able to put a stop to anything we do cause we're gonna do this completely legal, should they try anything we'd just tell them that we're being paid to protect the McKnights. They can't make a big fuss without looking like asses to the general public."

Fred was nodding. "That would work."

Eric nodded. "Some of us still have powers but we won't use those unless we have to. That's our secret weapon in case things get worse. On the day of your wedding, we'll have more then enough security. Almost every attendee is a former ranger. Those idiots try anything they'll be in a for a rude wake-up call."

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><p>While all this was going on, Autumn was standing outside the door of Kyle's room. She'd heard him moving around inside his room and knew he wasn't sleeping. She timidly knocked on the door and waited as his movement's stilled and he said gruffly, "Who is it?"<p>

"It's me Kyle, I-"

"Go away Autumn, I don't want you to see me like this."

At that the girl rolled her eyes and opened the door, hoping that he wasn't standing around in his underwear. To her relief, she saw her boyfriend sitting on the edge of his bed with a scowl on his face.

He looked up at her frowned. "Didn't I say that I didn't want you in here? Go away Autumn!"

With most girls, that would have led to her eyes filling up with tears and them running away melodramatically; but Autumn wasn't most girls. Instead, she stood in front of him with her hands on her hips and scowled back at him.

"You listen to me, Kyle DeSantos! I'm the one person under 21 to have seen you at your worst, all bruised and bleeding and needles sticking into your arms. I'm the one person in the world besides your parents that you should be letting in. I slept next to you when you were zoned out and stuff. Am I only Corazón to you when things are going like you want them to?"

Kyle looked up at her sharply, feeling as though he'd been slapped. She looked at him with a fierce gaze and he was instantly reminded of his Aunt Tanya when she was pissed off. He knew better then to keep trying to run her off, she had in one moment rammed through the wall he was trying to put up around himself. She wasn't gonna put up with any of his crap. It really was better if he let her in, then to try and fight her. She'd been hurting right along with him through all of this crap, and she'd been the one cuddling him while he was in the hospital.

He blew out a breath and then met her eyes again. "Sorry Autumn. I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

Autumn scoffed. "Yes you did, but I'm gonna ignore it. You boys gotta be so _macho_ all the time and I'm no wimpy girl. If I recall, it was me on the flier right along with you when all this stuff started. That could have been me on that gurney as easily if that jerk had been given the chance."

Tyler almost growled at her. "Over my dead body! It was better for him to attack me, and not you. I don't know what I'd have done if he'd cut you up...or worse."

"And how do you think I felt seeing all that blood in the room? You all pale and almost dying on the floor? I know what's under those bandages, and I was around to see my dad take out that Nazi jerk after he shouted the disgusting words he did."

"What did he say?"

"He shouted Hitler's slogan at Dad...and Dad grabbed the guy and threw him against the wall. The jerk is locked up now. He can't get us now."

As if he'd been holding in a breath all this time, he exhaled loudly and his shoulders slumped.

Autumn leaned into his shoulder. "Don't block me out anymore. I've got your back."

"I won't." Kyle said softly as he slipped arm around his girlfriend and kissed her head. The two were quiet for a few minutes, letting the peace in the room fill them. And then the peace was over as Kayla and Kailen walked in, the former leading him by the hand.

"What happened Kyle?" Asked the innocent girl.

"Some bad guys hurt me, but I'm okay now. Dr. Nadine wrapped me up in some bandages and said I was gonna be fine."

Kayla nodded, accepting his explanation at face value. By the time she was old enough to understand, a tattoo would be there, covering up any evidence of the horrifying truth. All his 'little cousin' would ever see is that colorful tattoo he'd soon be getting. It had all been settled when they went to breakfast. And no one would ever be the wiser. Well almost nobody. He looked at Autumn and smiled.

She was the best girlfriend ever.

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later...<strong>

Fred settled his sleeping son into the rear-facing car seat and strapped him in. After checking to see that the straps were tight enough, he straightened up and closed the car door. Tommy handed him the 'diaper bag' and then stepped back.

"Be careful Fred, these guys are playing dirty. You know the rules too, no one can know what we did for side jobs in high school."

The younger man did the lip zipping motion and tossed the imaginary key over his shoulder.

"Be careful out there, watch your back. Call us when you get home. I don't wanna take any chances, okay?"

"Got it, I'll see you guys soon."

Tommy nodded and watched Fred get into his car and drive off. Moments later, his watched beep.

"Andros here, I'm circling overhead. Is that the car I'm following?"

"Yeah, make sure he gets home okay."

"I want a full explanation before bed tonight."

"You'll have it. See you in a bit." When he didn't hear a reply and then a soft woosh, he turned back to the house.

This has been the first week Andros' had been able to take a few days off from his ambassador duties and he's spent it taking his twin teenagers on a trip to Earth, they'd been gone for most of the excitement and this next to last day on Earth had been spent at the Angel Grove mall.

That's not to say that Andros and Ashley didn't care about what had happened to Kyle, they'd kept their distance to give the family some room to breathe and get things sorted out. But now that things had settled a little a bit, they were back at the manor.

It had been decided that the final day before the trip would be spent at the manor. The girls especially wanted to hang out at the spa with Ashley and Andros would be catching up on everything they'd missed. But for now, he was the silent escort to their ally.

* * *

><p><strong>The Rickshaw's house<strong>

Nina sat on the edge of the tub, tears were falling down her cheeks. She was pregnant...and that was something that she didn't want to be. Soon all of the girls at school would start calling her a whore, though none of them knew that this last time, sex hadn't been her choice. She'd been attacked by the man her father had hired to take out that mixed family across town. She'd over heard her father talking to the man when she was supposed to have been asleep.

She'd been found out, and to shut her up, the man had come back when her father was at a business meeting, and raped her... more then once till she cried herself to sleep. Though she'd tried to push the ordeal out of her mind these last few weeks, it didn't go away. And then, she'd spent that morning vomiting into the toilet whatever she'd had left in her stomach.

Then she'd made the decision to walk to the Walmart and bought the test...that test was positive. She was pregnant, alone and she couldn't even go to her father for help. A pregnant daughter didn't fit the image he'd crafted. She'd be shoved under the rug...and possibly forced to abort the baby.

Then in that moment, she realized just how hard her Karma had bitch-slapped her. Surely this had to be pay back for the way she treated everyone. Who would want to help her with all the people she'd tormented?

She threw away the test and then walked back to her room, crawled into bed and tried to figure out, while laying in the darkness what she was supposed to do now that she had hit rock bottom. The man that had saved her at the store today. He was very familiar some how...he'd shown up at the dance with the freaks..in that fancy van...with Kyle and Autumn...

Nina froze.

The freaks were with the rich couple...maybe they could help her. She just had to find them...they might be her only chance. She knew that the guy who attacked her would be out of jail soon enough and her father didn't care about anything but his image, she seriously doubted that he'd protect her.

It looked like there was only one option left. To swallow pride and ask help from the only man that could stand up to her dad.

The McKnights.

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><p><strong>So, what did you guys think of this little twist? I know you all hate Nina, but everyone deserves a second chance and some grace sometimes. So this will be here chance to redeem herself, if she takes it. <strong>


	24. Moving Forward!

**Hey everyone! I hope all of you had an amazing holiday season!**

**I'm finally back in business after recovering from both my own vacation, and the computer problems that occurred while I was gone. I want to once again thank everyone for sticking with me all this time.**

**This chapter features some happier times and I hope you all enjoy the lighthearted moments that await you!**

**I want to also give kudos to Mertmidnightangel for the expert use of her red pin. My WP vanished and with it, my spell check. So without her help, this chapter would be really hard to read!**

**No real warnings this time around other then a briefly frisky moment between our favorite couple. *grins* So, I'll let you all get to it then!**

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><p>Conner hummed happily as he ascended the stairs the next morning. Everything was once again as it should be. His relationship with Kira was blossoming, even with the bomb Officer Kelmen dropped on him. They'd spent the night wrapped around each other and now today, they were to resume their wedding preparations. In about an hour, they were to meet with Callista at the town bakery, <em><strong>Sweet Somethings<strong>._ It was the premier place in the city that specialized in fanciful cakes and the baker had come highly recommended. According to the wedding planner, the cakes were always spectacular!

And so, with a breakfast tray laden with eggs, sausage, bacon and even s biscuit with a tall glass of milk, he pushed the door to their room open and smiled at the sight before him.

Kira was sitting cross-legged in their bed wearing some bright yellow sleep pants and a white tank top, her blonde hair pulled back in a messy pony tail. She was currently leaning over the laptop and was biting her lip as she scrolled down the page. She never looked so cute.

He smiled at the sight before walking in and setting the tray on the bed side table. He paused and then crawled into bed situating himself so he was sitting behind her. Carefully arranging his legs so that they spread on either side of his bride, he looked over her shoulder.

"Whatcha looking at Rockstar?"

Kira sighed. "Oh, I'm just checking out wedding cakes, for when we see Callista today. I saw a few that I like, but there's nothing that fits us."

"What do you mean?"

Kira pointed to the screen. "Well, there's this one, the bridge cake. It's looks really pretty, but it seems too extravagant. Then I saw some others but they all look the same with roses and flowers and pearls. They're just so boring and cliché. I never really thought about cakes before, but if we're gonna spend so much money on it, I don't want it looking like every other cake out there...I want it to fit...us."

Conner smiled, seeing Kira's sparked interest in their wedding. It was more proof that she'd overcome her fears and was ready to plunge on ahead in their wedding planning adventure. He smiled and wrapped her up in a backwards hug and kissed her neck.

"Well, I think the most important detail is the flavor. What kind of cake do you like?"

Kira turned her head and kissed him back before replying. "I kind of like marble, but vanilla is good too. I know that bakeries use all kinds of flavors. What do you like?"

"I like marble too, chocolate and vanilla."

Kira chuckled. "Well, that was easy. But what about your groom's cake? Are you gonna get one with soccer balls?"

Conner grimaced. Deep down, he really wanted one. After Kira, soccer was his biggest passion, but they also had a facade to keep up. They were a rich couple after all. "That's not really wedding-y, is it?"

Kira leaned into him and he kissed her cheek. "I thought this wedding was about _us_." She sat up again and typed something in to the search engine. "Look, none of these groom's cakes are wedding like. I think it should be whatever you want it to be. If you want a soccer cake, then I'd have no problem with it."

_God love her,_ Conner thought to himself. But no, appearances had to be kept up.

"We have to keep up the facade of a rich couple's wedding." He reached in front of her and typed up 'elegant groom's cakes'. This time the page showed really masculine cakes. The one he liked most was a chocolate cake in a hexagonal shape with a gold monogram inlayed on the front of the top layer. "I like this one a lot. Something with the McKnight Monogram in gold, I think. That's what I'm gonna look for when we get to the shop. You, however, should get whatever design you want. I want you to have the cake of your dreams, and if I were to call your dad right now, he'd definitely agree with me."

Kira sighed and leaned into his arms again. "Ok, I'm sure we can find something to fit us...I just wish that this was all over, without those creeps hounding us, trying to take over Angel Grove. Why can't we just call up some zords and stomp their headquarters?"

Conner chuckled. "I love the way you think, Rockstar. If only we didn't have to sacrifice the bio-zords in that final battle. My zord would get the job done in no time flat."

Kira chuckled. "Yeah, but we don't have them anymore. And you know the Ranger Oath, we can't use our powers for our own gain. We'll have to beat this our own way."

Conner kissed her again. "Well, how about in the mean time I go take my shower and you eat some breakfast...oh and by the way, it didn't really matter what flavor you chose, I'm gonna be making you wear it anyway."

"Then you better be capable of cleaning it off."

"Gladly, and I'll do much more than that." Then without warning he licked her neck roughly.

"Conner! Kira squealed and jumped off the bed, almost knocking the laptop over. Conner caught it just in time. He chuckled and then got off the bed, grabbing a change of clothes on his way out. Kira rolled her eyes and then sat back down on the bed and delved into her breakfast.

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><p><strong>Sweet Somethings<strong>

Taylor and Jen opened the door for their 'clients': Conner, his bride and the wedding planner who had been waiting for them to arrive. They were met at the counter by a flushed but happy woman with a pixie hair cut and green eyes, but that's where the normalcy stopped. Her hair was black but had red and blue streaks throughout it. She wore a white t-shirt with the store's logo over a pair of black jeans and that was accompanied by a pair of black ballet flats.

At her side stood a man around the same age with mussed light brown hair and blue eyes. He wasn't lanky by any means, but had lightly muscular arms that had built up over the couple of years since he'd married the girl he now stood next to. He wore a t-shirt with the same design and logo on the front, along with a pair of faded blue jeans, but what drew the couple's eye was the tattoo that was hidden just under the short sleeve on his left bicep that looked like a complicated algebra problem. It was something only Ethan would ever understand.

Both the proprietors looked over the two older women. The day before when the two had visited the store to check things out, they had worn the standard silver guardians' uniform and gear. But today they dressed more casual, wearing nicer blouses, faded jeans and ankle boots. Even with the casual clothing, they still sported holsters, weapons, and ID's. However, like they'd been asked to do at the previous meeting, they paid the guardians no mind and began the consultation.

"Hello! Welcome to Sweet Somethings!" said the girl holding out her hand to shake. "I'm Ruby and this is my husband Quincy. How are you guys doing today?"

"Hey guys, these are my clients Conner McKnight and Kira Meadowbrooke. They're looking to order the wedding cake and the groom's cake."

It was still odd for Kira to hear her mother's maiden name instead of Ford, but she had refused to use the other last name. The name Ford left a very bad taste in her mouth. She'd never use that name again.

"Excellent." Ruby grinned looking at her new customers while she pulled a spiral notebook. Next to her, Quincy and Callista moved down a bit further down the counter and began to discuss the money side of things.

"So, what do you guys have in mind?"

Kira looked at Conner. "We don't really know. I looked at several online this morning, but they all seem to look the same. We want something original. I saw the bridge cake and even a church cake, but they seem way too extravagant. And they don't seem to fit us."

Ruby nodded. "Not the first time I've heard a bride say this. But no worries, lets collaborate." Saying this she gave them both a once-over. "First, let's start with guest numbers. Can you give me a ball park figure of how many guests you're expecting?"

Conner looked at Kira and then at the baker. "No more than 200 give or take a few. We're keeping the ceremony small. Still, I'd like to give Kira whatever cake she wants. Her father is paying for the it, so the sky's the limit."

Ruby smiled at the obvious love between the two clients as she notated the information. "Ok, now, next, what kind of flavors do you want?"

"Marble" They both said at the same time. The baker grinned and made another note.

"Wonderful. Now, you both said you don't want any of the more cliché designs. So a good idea would be to design the cake around your personalities. Kira, what do you do for fun?"

Kira wasn't sure how to answer her, but she took a deep breath. "Music, I love to play guitar." Conner squeezed her hand. "She used to sing in an alternative rock band."

Ruby nodded beginning to get ideas. "That's so rad!" She sketched something on her note pad. "And how do you feel about flowers on your cake?"

Kira smiled. "I love them, only the last one's I tried were nasty tasting. What are they made of anyway?"

"Gum paste, those are the most common you'll find on most cakes, but there are loads more options out there. I can make them out of sugar, modeling chocolate, fondant and my husband is really good at sugar glass. Really, you don't have to limit yourselves on them. Do you guys want roses on your cake?"

"Yeah, only I don't want white roses...can we do yellow roses instead?"

As the meeting went on, Ruby began to add details on the sketch. When at last Ruby had finished with the sketch and showed it to them, both were really happy with it. Kira said she'd never seen such a pretty cake in her life. A white corset made out of carved rice crispy treats and covered with fondant sat on top of two layers of marble cake, strings of edible pearls were strung and intertwined with several sugar roses that were painted with edible pearlescent yellow food coloring. The base of the cake would be white but had musical notes piped on it. The end result was so very Kira!

After she'd signed off on it, she turned to Conner. "So, any ideas on what you want for your groom's cake? What are your hobbies?"

"I don't want a big cake, just something simple and elegant...lots of chocolate. But I want to have a monogram on it too."

Ruby looked at him skeptically. "So, what do you really want? You don't seem like the type of guy to just want an understated cake. You're no socialite."

Conner didn't falter. "There are people after us, I must...we must keep up appearances or something bad might happen. The understated cake will do just fine. Chocolate piping, chocolate covered strawberries, the monogram. I'm loaded, the cake should reflect me."

Ruby gave the security people another look and then looked at Conner. "Okay, the understated cake is a fine choice. So, do you also want marble cake for the flavor as well?"

Conner nodded as Kira frowned at him. She hated that the jock she loved couldn't have the cake he wanted. That he had to settle for something so plain. She began to get an idea in her head. Conner would have the soccer cake of his dreams and if she had to make it herself, then so be it. She loved him so much she could barely breathe...and he deserved everything she could give him!

Once the forms were filled out and signed and Callista had given Quincy all the appropriate information, they left the bake shop and headed out to lunch. Conner opened the door for Kira and she looked at him closely and then pressed her lips to his and wrapped her arms around him. Conner smiled into the kiss and held her tightly against him.

Taylor looked at Jen, both doing their best to give the couple some space...but after two minutes she cleared her throat. "If you'd like we can skip Red Lobster and go back to the house instead."

Conner broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Kira's. "No, it's okay. It's been too long since we went out to dinner like this. He pecked Kira's lips again and then stepped back and let Kira sit down in her seat before gently closing the car door. He looked over at Callista. You're welcome to join us. My treat."

Callista looked at her watch. "That sounds wonderful. I'll follow you there. We have a few more things to discuss anyway."

Conner nodded and crossed over to the driver's side and climbed in. He took Kira's hand in his, kissed it and then started the car.

Then they headed out to the sea-food restaurant.

* * *

><p><strong>The Manor<strong>

Nina gave the rest of her cash to the taxi driver before she got out. Because of the "No Trespassing" sign hung on the trees on either side of the drive way, the driver could not go any further. But Nina knew that she'd have to suck it up and walk the rest of the way, if she wanted help, she'd just have to start walking...and that she did. But the sun was high over head and she'd worn wedges that day. That didn't help her get to the manor any faster than the book bag she had slung over her shoulder.

She'd planned this escape the night before and had taken out her books and supplies and instead packed clothes for a couple of days along with her basic accouterments. Then this morning, she snuck into her father's office and grabbed his back up external hard drive and then walked down the stairs like always. She was lucky that her dad was on one of his many business trips...though this time she suspected he'd taken yet another woman, or rather women, to a getaway. She wasn't an innocent mind; she knew what her dad got up to. Being a major financial contributor of the TSA (True Sons of America) the secret white supremacist organization got him no end of women to play around with. And they all were so eager to jump between the sheets with him. It made Nina so sick...and that was a whole other reason for her to want to leave.

By the time she got to the end of the private driveway, she was exhausted and her feet were hurting her. She'd also sweated through her blouse and she felt seriously gross. But she'd made it, and now all she could hope for was that the people here could help her and keep her safe. She'd hoped that the USB would be accepted as a bargaining chip.

She looked up at the house and felt impressed. The house was even bigger than the one she'd left. The trees looked so inviting and the grass looked so soft. She sank down on the edge of the property and leaned against the wall trying to catch her breath.

Her legs ached and she rubbed them both, and sighed as the pain ebbed a little bit. She closed her eyes, hoping for a few minutes rest, before she approached the house and asked for asylum.

She'd never planned on falling asleep.

The next thing she knew a cold nose pressed against her face. She woke up with a start to look right into the face of two pit bulls and two boxers. She tried to back up but suddenly remembered that she was already up against a wall, so she threw her hands up to cover her face; she didn't want to get eaten by them!

But she didn't expect one of the boxers, obviously a girl, to whine at her and then sniff her belly. The younger boxer licked her hand and wagged his tail at her. The two pit bulls were sitting on the haunches, both quite calm looking. Then one of them got up and ran towards the house yapping his head off and making all kinds of noise. Moments passed before a little boy with pale blonde hair and blue eyes came running up to her. He stopped short and then looked closely at her. "Who are you?"

Not a minute later, two more young kids ran up behind him, dressed in camo pants and white t-shirts with the silver guardians' logo on it. (They had more than one set. It had become a necessity when both children loved to dress like their parents) They also had miniature versions of the parent's ID badges on them with their names on it. The little boy also wore a walkie talkie that was just a little too big for his belt to hold.

It was adorable. She watched as the little boy with the backwards cap immediately stepped between her and the blonde haired boy, scowling at her. "Who are you and why are you here? This is westrick'ed property!"

Nina laughed at him when he stumbled over the big word, but his facial expression didn't change. He glowered at her and slowly looked at his 'partner' and handed over his walkie talkie. "She's not supposed to be here. Let's call this in."

The girl looked at her using just as serious a look. But she took the walkie talkie and pressed the button.

"QT-Rex to base."

A moment later an older voice came in. "Quantum Commander here. Over."

"Agent JRex and I are at the wall, there's an unknown femell...girl that we don't know. She was sleeping under the twee. What are your orders? Over."

"Code 9119? Over."

"Affirmative. Over. I'm not kidding Quantum Commander. The K9 units found her first. Cadet McKnight is with us too. Over."

The voice of an indulgent uncle was replaced by one with full authority.

"Stay where you are guys, We'll be right there. Don't let the captive escape. Over."

"Over and out."

The little boy nodded and then looked at Nina. "You in trouble now. Daddy's coming."

* * *

><p><strong>So, what did you all think of this one? The TSA is completely made up (To my knowledge) and has no bearing on any other organisations. It was so much fun to write Wes and Eric's kids. I awwed so many times while writing them in!<strong>

**Leave me your thoughts in the review!**

**I haven't said this in a while, but for anyone just joining in on this adventure, I hold court on my facebook page. See the link on my profile!**


	25. Interrogations

**Greetings! I'm back with another chapter!**

**Let's see now, only one warning for this chapter. !Angry mother alert! As if I'd let Nina get by without some harsh consequences. The tide is beginning to change in this little story, and they begin now.**

**I'd like to give special thanks to Mertmidnightangel for getting this chapter back to me so quickly! Also, I'd like to give special kudos to fanficrulez for helping me along with the sappy parts of the chapter. I couldn't have done it without him!**

**Let's see, I think that's all the special announcements, so I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the show. LOL. See me at the bottom!**

* * *

><p>Nina sat at the big dining room table. She wasn't sure what she'd expected when she was found by the big beefy guy staring at her, but this wasn't it. He wore a basic black T-shirt with the logo for the silver guardians, accompanied by a black baseball hat with the same logo on it. Upon entering the kitchen, she was met by another guy who was leaner though no less muscular, who wore the same kind of clothing as the first guy, though he did seem to be nicer than his partner. This man, whom called himself Agent Wes, approached her with a black duffle bag that sported the medicine logo, out of which he pulled a stethoscope and a blood pressure monitor. Though it wasn't required to join the Silver Guardians, Wes had chosen to take a basic medical course. He felt, that should a person under their protection suddenly be harmed or suffer a medical emergency, he would immediately be able to treat them, while waiting for the ambulance.<p>

"What are you doing?" she asked as her heart sped up. She really didn't want this stranger touching her.

"Take it easy Miss Rickshaw. The driveway is almost a mile long, and you were passed out at the gates. You're most likely dehydrated and if Mr. McKnight was right, you're in a delicate condition. I'm just making sure you're in good health when Mrs. Oliver gets here."

Nina narrowed her eyes as Wes put the cuff on her arm. "But I wanted to talk to Mr. McKnight!"

Eric approached her and put a paper plate with a delicious looking sandwich in front of her, along with a cold bottle of water.

"Well, we don't always get what we want, do we? Mr. McKnight and his fiancée are in a meeting. Despite all the trouble your dad is causing, we fully intend for their wedding to go forward...and though he's trying to force us out of Angel Grove, we're not going anywhere."

"I had nothing to do with that! And how did you even know who I was?" Nina sputtered.

Eric looked steadily at her, hiding his internal satisfied smirk. This canary was singing really well for him. "We know everything about you. Your MySpace page told us everything." Eric paused tilting his head at her. "Is your dad aware of all those naughty pictures you post of yourself?"

Nina scoffed. "As if he cares! The only time he even talks to me is when The Clarion does an interview. It's all about image for him."

The older man opened his laptop and typed in something. "Ah yes! There you are, looking so pretty and obedient...you play your part pretty well. So, my question now is, which Nina is the real you?"

"The one who's pregnant...I came here because my dad allowed a monster into the house and he..." She paused not being able to say the word...

Wes raised his eyebrow. "I see. And how long ago was this?"

Nina clammed up right then. She didn't want to tell these men anything more. Instead, she switched to her haughty tone. "What is this? Good cop, bad cop?"

Eric chuckled and closed his laptop. "It's a lot better then what you'll get when Mrs. Oliver shows up. You're very lucky she's on her way here and not Kyle or Autumn's mom. They won't be so compassionate."

That shut her up. She'd forgotten all about the flier thing. The plan to embarrass Autumn had been a really stupid idea thought up in a fit of jealousy. The pictures had been obtained easily enough. That nerd from the yearbook club had been easy to persuade. He'd had a crush on her forever. All she had to do was compliment him on his Detonation Man t-shirt and he was putty in her hands. She'd gotten what she wanted, just like she always did, and the subdued look on Autumn's face had made it all worth it. Until now that was. But why would their moms do anything?

Wes raised his eyebrow at her. He didn't think she meant to voice her question but that one statement told him a lot more then she realized. It showed him that perhaps, there was more going on than either of them realized.

He stood up and closed the medi bag. "Moms like Kyle and Autumn's are extremely protective. For your safety, they aren't showing up here and neither are your classmates. We persuaded them to stay in a hotel for tonight. We don't want bloodshed here. Not until we know exactly why you came all the way across town to seek asylum with us."

Nina only nodded and ate her food, wondering if the risk she took was a good decision or not.

"So, where's your mom at?"

"She left a long time ago. Mom and Dad got into a fight years ago. He annulled the marriage and he paid her a small fortune and sent her away. He only keeps mistresses now. They'll do anything for the money he's paying them."

* * *

><p>Kimberly frowned as she'd heard the soft spoken words. She'd been standing there for a few minutes...and she was glad she did. Now she saw that just simply interrogating her wouldn't work. There were many secrets buried that would need to be unearthed before she allowed the girl to stay under her protective wings. She bit her lip and thought hard. And then an idea came to her.<p>

Tommy closed the door behind them. They'd just dropped Kayla off at the hotel that their friends were staying at. When Kim had gotten the call, they both knew that the confrontation had a chance of becoming ugly. So, just to be safe, he'd packed her little pink suitcase and they'd headed for the hotel once she'd been picked up from school. He'd make sure that his daughter was as far away from this ugliness as possible.

At first he'd been wary of the idea of Kim playing this role. He'd opened his mouth to protest but shut it again at the memory of what happened last time he'd even suggested that his pregnant wife stay out of anything even remotely dangerous. She'd exploded on him and then made him sleep on the couch for the night. It had taken major sucking up and kissing up and making intense love to her to get back in her good graces...hormones were funny that way. This time around, he'd simply just told her how sexy she was when she went into warrior mode and then drove her to the manor. He hated having to sleep anywhere without her...and he was not gonna do that again!

So instead, he just followed her into the kitchen and stood in the door way while Kim made her presence known.

"Well, that explains a lot." Kimberly said as she walked into the kitchen. Nina whirled around and looked at her and the two sized each other up. Mrs. Oliver sure didn't seem scary...

"Come with me. We've got serious talking to do." She turned to her husband and held out her hand. Tommy looked at her questioningly but at her raised eyebrow, he nodded and handed over the duffle bag. Sometimes, especially with Kimberly, it was best to just play along. "Just call me if you need anything."

Kimberly smiled at him and pecked his lips. "I promise, Handsome." Then she turned back to Nina. "Alright then. Grab your bag and walk."

Any pre-existing assumptions vanished at her harsh tone. So Nina only swallowed, picked up her bag, and then remembered the chip in her jean's pocket. She put the chip on the table and then headed for the door Mrs. Oliver had indicated.

They walked in silence until they reached a small terra-cotta building that stood between two towering trees.

Kimberly walked up to the door and opened it. Pausing to take off her sandals, she turned to see the Nina's confused face and said, "We honor the heritage of the Parks. Whenever we enter a building on this property, no matter if it's the dojo or this building, the shoes come off."

Nina paused and watched while Kimberly toed her shoes off before removing her own. Once they were inside, Kimberly flipped the switch and closed the door. She led the way to the inner room and turned on another switch which, to Nina's everlasting surprise, started up the big jacuzzi in the middle of the floor. She looked in Kimberly's direction in confusion.

"The jucuzzi is for my use only. I'm 8 months pregnant and my feet and ankles are killing me. She pointed to the stool across the room that they used when giving each other pedicures. Bring that stool over here and have a seat. She watched as the girl did as she was told and then took off her clothes leaving only her maternity bathing suit on. With a groan she slid in to the warm water.

When Nina returned with the chair, she gestured to the opposite side of the tub. When she sat down, the two females sized each other up again.

Kim didn't say a word as she sat in the tub and gave Nina an appraising look. She was of course the stereotypical cheerleader rich girl. Not a touch of innocence...it was already known that she was no stranger to a boy's bedroom. From what she'd overheard, her parents weren't ever there to guide her or to tell her that in some things, especially those things involving sex, it was best to wait. She glanced at the girl's ankles. They were a little swollen which made sense since the tramp...girl had the stupidity to wear high heels on a long walk. Her feet had to be killing her. Her gaze traveled up the girl's body to her waistline. She wasn't showing yet, which could mean anything. If she'd just found out she was pregnant, she wouldn't be showing for a little while.

Finally, Kimberly looked into the girls eyes. Her eyes were lovely, but the moment their eyes met, the girl dropped her gaze to her lap. While the girl was no virgin, there wasn't a hint of haughtiness. She was nervous and even scared...not what she was expecting.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The angry mother bear tones her friends used when they'd called her on the way over still resonated with her.

_"Kimberly, don't you dare let that tramp off easy. She messed with my baby girl, you better run her through the gauntlet before you let that hussy into my house!" _Tanya had all but screeched into her ear.

Aisha had been a little calmer, but her voice had carried a threatening tone in it. _"Pinkie, the safety of our children is in your hands. The girl is bad news and you better make for damn sure that she's not a threat. We didn't survive Rita, Zedd, Mondo and Mesogog just to run afoul of that bitch. Don't you dare go soft on her...you better not let me down."_

Any other time, Kim might have flinched at her best friend's words, but she completely understood. She had her own precious daughter as well as the baby she carried to think about. Still, if the girl before her really needed her help...well she would soon know everything.

"How did you find us?" She snapped, causing the girl to startle. "We're not listed in the phone book. The location of this house is a closely guarded secret. How did you even know we lived here?"

"My d...dad. He's had his eye on the house for years. The Grand Dragon, the guy my father answers to, had planned to buy this house to use as headquarters. But when my father tried to buy it, it was already off the market. He's really mad that this house has fallen into 'half breed hands'. His words."

Kimberly arched an eyebrow. "The Grand Dragon? I didn't think the KKK stretched this far."

"It's not the KKK. It's the TSA. True Sons of America. They're not as big as the Klan, but they're trying to put themselves on the map."

Kimberly nodded. "I see. Now, tell me why you came here. You really did a lot of damage to Autumn and Kyle. Those posters really messed up their heads. I have no reason to help you out...so unless you want me to throw you out-"

"No! Please don't throw me out! I'm not safe at home! Dad's gonna kill me when he finds out I'm pregnant! He's gonna force me to abort it!"

Kimberly eyed her. "Not my fault you laid down and spread your legs for every guy at school. Maybe you should go find that baby daddy and ask him for help."

"I was raped!" She cried out.

Kimberly gave her a look. "Is that what they call it now? Back in my day, having sex was referred to as getting laid, popping the cherry, and doing the horizontal mambo. You girls cry 'rape' way too easily."

Nina face contorted into a bitterly upset expression and angry tears streamed down her eyes. "I didn't want to have sex with him! He's big and scary. He was brought in by my dad to scare you into leaving! I wasn't even supposed to know about him...but he found me. He snuck into my bedroom and raped me! He was too heavy to fight off!"

The former ranger fought to control her maternal instinct. She itched to reach over and comfort the girl...but she finally managed her emotions and looked up at the girl who was furiously trying to wipe her tears away.

"It can only take two weeks after unprotected sex for the symptoms to show up. How do you know that beast got you knocked up? Couldn't it have been one of your many boyfriends?"

Nina shook her head. "No, the last boy I did it with was Nick Steward and that was almost 4 months ago."

"It's not as sweet as you thought it was, right?" Kim asked.

"No, but I didn't expect it to be. I had an itch to scratch...and it's not like I expected him to stick around. They never do."

"You girls start younger and younger every year." She said after a few more moments. Logic told her that if it had been this Nick boy, she'd have been showing by now...and that was only if she was telling the truth.

"It's a sad epidemic that more and more teens are getting pregnant these days, isn't it?" said a new voice. Kimberly looked towards the door to see Kat standing there.

Kimberly smiled at her. "Hey PC, did ya bring what I asked for?" PC had become Kat's nickname between her, Kimberly and Aisha.

"Of course," she said as she knelt down next to her friend and handed over a Starbucks latte. In her other hand was paper bag. She sat cross-legged on the ledge of the Jacuzzi and dropped her feet into the bubbling water.

She sighed and then looked at Nina. "I once saw a documentary about the lionesses over in Africa. They're the only species of wildcat in the world that club together. They all cooperate with each other for the safety of their cubs and each other. In the documentary, there was a part where the lionesses discovered that a cobra had snuck into their den where all their cubs were hiding. So the wise lionesses set up a guard to watch the snake while the other lioness calmly took the cubs one by one out of the den till all of them were in a safe place. Then they returned and killed the snake."

Nina flinched as Kat's eyes flashed. "We're very much like the lionesses. All our children are at stake...and we all work together to raise them...and if I should find out that you're lying...your ass is mine...Kimberly won't even half to lift a finger. I'll destroy you in half a minute."

"I'm not lying." Nina said softly. "My dad doesn't even know I'm here. That chip I left on the table has proof that he's financing the TSA."

Kat nodded. Billy had snatched it up and already taken it down to the lab in the basement.

"There's one question that hasn't been asked yet." Kat stated. "What gave you the idea to come here?"

"I ran into Mr. McKnight at Wal-Mart. I didn't want my dad to know I'd bought a pregnancy test. So I tried to lift it. Then the manager came after me. But Mr. McKnight saved me and paid for the test so I could leave. I know he hangs out with Kyle and Autumn. I thought that he might be able to help me."

"And what exactly do you think he'd do for you?" Kimberly asked.

Nina lowered her head again. "I'm pregnant...and I know it happened because of the rape. I'm not heartless, if this baby survives and is born, I don't want it to suffer my fate. I want it to have a life with a mom and dad that love it. All I'm asking for is somewhere to stay till it's born and then find a home for it. I'm not safe at home. I don't care if you guys hate me or not. I just don't want to be the one that killed it."

Kat looked at Kimberly...and then back at Nina. Finally Kat got up and walked over to Nina. "Very well, but you'll have to prove you're pregnant. If this comes back positive, then I want you to understand that you'll be fed and clothed and receive pre-natal care. But you'll be expected to apologize to Autumn and Kyle to their parent's satisfaction and you will be expected to pull your weight for as long as you can. And you will be expected to show utmost respect to Kimberly, and myself. Because once The Parks and DeSantoses return, we'll be the ones keeping those angry mothers at bay."

Nina wanted badly to ask about Conner, but she kept silent.

"Now, there are three separate tests in this bag. You're to use all of these tests the right way and then come out as soon as you're done. Don't tamper with them in any way or I will know."

Nina nodded solemnly and let Kat lead her to the rest room.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the garage...<p>

Conner pulled into the garage, and slowly maneuvered his mustang into its space. Behind them, he could hear the other SUV pull into another space that Adam had allowed them to use while they were there. Pretty soon, the garage might need to be expanded. But that was the last of his thoughts as he heard the other car's engine go silent.

Taylor and Jen got out of the SUV and both looked over in the younger couple's direction. Jen only smiled at them and shot her companion an amused glance before they hurried to the house where they knew their husbands waited for them.

Conner watched them leave and then got out of his seat, closed the door and walked over to Kira's side. He leaned in and kissed her cheek causing the other to turn her head and kiss him back, though it only lasted for a moment. Smiling, she let him open the door for her and accepted the hand he held out, smiling up at him as he helped her to her feet.

They had both enjoyed their early dinner and the impromptu walk they took by the beach, though they'd asked their escorts if it would be alright to take the walk. The older ranger veterans and waved them on and followed them to the beach. The whole time they'd been shadowed, though neither Kira, nor Conner had missed the removal of their shoes and the light hearted banter and even girl talk that had gone on during their walk. After about an hour, just as the sun started to set, they'd walked back to the car. After they'd dusted their feet off, shoes had been put back on and after a late night stop at the Dairy Queen, they'd come home in a happy mood.

Conner closed the door and then kissed Kira again, both still in their bubble of happiness. It was a nice change to how they'd been before, and though both had a feeling it wouldn't be long before more drama found them, they were happy to exist into their little bubble for as long as they could.

Kira leaned against the car as Conner kissed her back, though it didn't last nearly as long as she wanted it to. His eyes were shining with happiness as he pecked her lips again.

"Did you get enough to eat, Rockstar?" He asked as he reached between them and rubbed her stomach.

"I should be asking you the same question, Mr. Red Ranger. You bought the biggest lobster they had! That thing was nearly 3 feet long! And then bought yourself your own basket of cheddar biscuits!

Conner chuckled at that. "Yes, and I'm sure we made our waiter very happy too. I left him a tip that was two times more than the normal 20%. He should be able to get her some nice barbies or outfits or whatever for his daughter with the tip alone."

When Kira look at him in confusion, he added, "I saw the little snapshot of her on the outer cover of the order book."

Kira kissed him again for that and he slid his hands from her belly to her hips, pulling her closer and pressing yet another kiss to her lips. When Kira pressed into the kiss he slid his hands to her bottom and gently hoisted her up onto the car door and groaned when she wrapped her legs around his hips. They stayed like that, each working the other up until at last they had to come up for air. Conner groaned when he realized that his body was fully awake and Kira looked at him breathlessly.

"Let's get upstairs. It's getting kind of cold out here."

Kira pecked him once more on the lips and then led them out of the garage.

The house was quiet when they slipped inside and headed up to their room. Kira only took a few minutes and washed the remainder of the sand off her feet before heading back to the room where Conner had gone to change into his sleep pants.

He kissed her lips as he passed her and headed to the bathroom.

He hummed happily to himself as he took care of his business and finished readying himself for bed. As he cleaned his own feet off, he let his thoughts wander more as he had done while he'd shed his clothes and put on his sleep pants. Kira had been kind of quiet while they were in the car headed to the restaurant. She seemed to be kind of un-Kira like during lunch and had only snapped out of it during their walk on the beach.

That thought scared Conner a bit as he didn't want Kira to become as moody as she was when she'd kicked him out of their room. No, he wouldn't let that happen again. He'd get to the bottom of this before it could part them again. He dried his feet and hands and then walked back to the room prepared to love on his girl and soothe whatever needed soothing. He'd do all in his power to- he paused mid-thought when he saw Kira laying in their bed with her back to him.

He gently pulled back the bed covers and slipped in, spooning Kira and wrapping his arms around her. He leaned in and kissed her neck. Normally, she'd turn over and kiss him back, but this time she only sighed. Conner frowned, "Okay, Rockstar, spill it. What's wrong?"

Kira sighed again and then turned over and Conner pushed himself backwards giving her room. "Conner, are you really happy with today?"

Conner frowned, "Of course I am...why wouldn't I be?"

"Don't tell me you didn't want that soccer cake. I know you."

He raised his eyebrows. "That's what has you upset?"

Kira nodded,

Conner sighed. "I won't lie, I'd love to have that cake, but I'm really okay with the one we picked out too."

Kira was quiet for a moment. "I'm glad we have a security team, to keep us safe, but we shouldn't need it for a wedding. It's supposed to fun for everyone, not a tense standoff waiting to happen." She looked back at Conner. "I love you and can't wait to be yours, but this isn't the way either of us wants it to be...to have to fake everything!"

She sighed, feeling relieved to get everything off her chest. Her fiancé had a thoughtful look on his face. He softly muttered the word fake...and then he got a look on his face as the proverbial light bulb turned on in his head.

"Conner?"

He focused on her again and pressed another kiss to her lips. "Kira, you're an absolute genius!"

Kira looked up at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"We've got to wake the others!"

Kira moved instantly and grabbed his hand. "Conner, don't even think about it, everyone is asleep right now, they'll kill you for waking them up!"

Conner looked at her frowning.

"Stay with me and tell me your wonderful idea. I promise, we can tell the Guardians tomorrow."

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><p><strong>*Pulls on battle armor and waits for the hoard of angry reviewers!* I don't apologize for this, not one bit! I will however promise that all of this will be worth it!<strong>

**In the mean time, leave me a review, and let me know your thoughts! Catch ya on the flip side!**


	26. To Catch A Poser

**You guys are all very observant and figured Conner's plan pretty easily!**

**To MF 22: you hit the nail on the head! But thankfully I still have some secrets ahead that no one will see coming! (cue evil laugh)**

**To thank you all for the love, you all get this very long chapter and some Daddy/Kayla fluff and some humor to go with it!**

**Once again, major props to MertMidnightangel for her magic red pen that magically made my typos disappear! LOL. **

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter, so read on!**

* * *

><p>"So, let me get this straight," Dr O said after setting his coffee mug on the table. "You're going to throw a fake wedding to catch Roger?"<p>

Conner nodded and glanced at Wes and Eric as they leaned against the kitchen island. "Kira and I talked about it last night and really, neither of us like having to put up a front and pretend to be people we're not. To have to play the rich couple with a lavish wedding and pretending to be snobs is something we don't wanna do anymore. I wanted Kira to have the wedding of her dreams but this isn't what either of us envisioned when we made our first appointment with Callista. I know it's a safety issue with that poser out to get her. If he'd stayed away the first time he'd gotten arrested, then I would have left the matter alone, but he's gone after her twice, and I'm not about to let it happen a third time and especially not on our wedding day."

Eric nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. You seemed to have really thought this through...how do you want to do this?"

Conner thought for a moment. "We go on like nothing's changed, if this guy is as sadistic as I think he is, then he'll want to go after Kira again...and what better then on her wedding day, in front of so many guests. He'll do anything and say anything to humiliate her. So we'll have the real wedding once he's put away forever.

My parents were very wealthy people and left me a small fortune, and the McKnight name carries some weight back in Reefside. So why not flaunt that and really make it a big deal. I can have Cassidy do a story about it and then we carry on with the wedding the day just like before, but get what rangers can help us to attend it and we make sure that everyone knows what Roger looks like and when he crashes the party, we spring the trap and nail him for violation of a restraining order and for trespassing on private property. Then, with the threat gone, Kira and I can do the real wedding the way it should be done. I've also given it a lot of thought, and we both want to get married using our real names, Kira Kensington and Conner True-Heart. I want to have fun with it all and be myself...just be Conner, the crazy soccer jock with the nerd friend and rocker fiancee."

"Don't forget that you are both part of the ranger legacy too." Wes said. "Your powers may have been destroyed but you are forever one of us. There's not a single ranger out there that wouldn't want to be part of this."

"He's right Conner; every single ranger team is just a phone call away." Eric added

"I just want my Kira safe."

Tommy nodded. "And she will be, I'd bet my life on that."

Conner instantly felt better and slowly slumped into the chair across from him. Jen silently placed a big coffee mug in front of him and squeezed his shoulder in support, and then she went back to cooking breakfast with Taylor.

"Don't forget that I'm a ranger too." Kira said as she walked into the kitchen. "I'm ready for him this time. He says anymore garbage about me and I'll have his head on a silver platter."

Eric had been quiet all this time, as the most recent ranger veteran talked about his plans. He'd gotten an idea and now was busy putting his own security plan together.

Taylor looked over at her fellow yellow ranger. "So, are you planning to make another trip to Alma's? I seriously doubt you'll taint that gorgeous dress you bought by wearing it to the sting?"

Kira nodded. "Yes, we're getting a cheaper dress, but not at Alma's. Her pieces are too amazing to be used like that. We're going to that discount bridal shop down by the mall. I saw one I liked online and they've put it on hold for us till closing time today. I also saw one for Autumn to try on..." She trailed off looking around her. "Speaking of, weren't there more people here yesterday?

Wes grimaced and looked to his wife before he looked back at Kira. "Yeah, about that. We had a situation while you were gone yesterday. Miss Rickshaw showed up on the lawn, passed out and dehydrated. Kimberly has her in the spa house, looking after her. The last thing any of us wants is a royal rumble with so many kids around, so we sent them all to a hotel overnight till we could assess the problem and come up with a solution."

Conner's eyes narrowed. "What about my brother and nephew?"

"They went too, along with the specialist. We're playing it as an impromptu vacation, but I have a feeling that Kyle and Autumn know something's up. They're very observant."

"That they are," stated Kimberly as she walked in the door with Kat and a very nervous looking Nina behind them. "She's telling the truth, about everything and eating for two now."

Conner looked at Nina with a look of surprise... Kira only looked at her with sympathy. Nina refused to meet any of their eyes. She only sat on the chair Tommy pulled out for her and kept her eyes focused on her lap.

Tommy frowned and then looked up at his former students. "Come on, I'll take you guys to the hotel, I wanna go check on my little girl."

Conner looked once more at Nina who still hadn't looked up and then took Kira's hand, leading her out of the room.

Kimberly walked over to her husband and kissed him on the lips. "Give my baby a kiss from me, Handsome. None of this is gonna be easy. I'll see you guys soon."

Nina felt her heart constrict with longing as she lifted her eyes briefly to see the man reach out rub Kimberly's stomach before he left. With all the boys she'd been with, none of them ever gave her so much as a gentle touch. They'd all taken what she offered and then fallen asleep. Once they walked away, she'd barely spoken with them ever again...and they ignored her completely. She'd never seen love in action before that moment. And she realized with a deep ache, that she wanted that kind of love, the one that would last more than just the fleeting flings she'd had before...she wanted something more.

Tommy kissed his wife one more time and then headed out towards the garage. It seemed that a hero's work was never done.

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><p>At that same moment, across town, a very hung over and irate man in expensive clothing sat behind his desk with his hands folded before him. Across from him sat one nervous underling.<p>

"So, you're telling me that my...daughter never came home from school?

"N..no sir. I received a call yesterday from that principal. Sir, your daughter, never made it to school. She's now considered a run away. The police said we had to wait a full 24 hours before we could report her absence to the police."

"That little bitch...she knows that I have a reputation to uphold. Where the hell could she be? Have you checked with our informants?"

The slender man sitting across from him was easy to obtain. Fresh from business school, and with no prospects, he eagerly took the job when it was offered. Sure there were more qualified people out there, but the Grand Dragon would have brought down hellfire for hiring anyone other than white people. And the wimp sitting before him was as white as they came. He'd even checked the background. He came from a middle class home with very loving family, if the pictures on MySpace were anything to go by.

And he was white. The only person that wasn't from a forbidden heritage, or mixed race. He was smart, but insecure which meant he was able to intimidate fairly easily...as he was now. Mr. Peterson was adverting his eyes and instead looked at his lap.

"Look at me Peterson!" he snapped.

The underling snapped his head up, and swallowed. "Yes, sir. I checked with everyone. Wherever she went, she's not in the city of Angel Grove."

Mr. Rickshaw sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to soothe his pounding head. He thought for a few minutes as his lackey sat in his chair. At least, the man knew when to talk and when to be quiet. Finally after several minutes, he looked up at the younger man. "When all else fails, think outside the box. "Obviously she's not been kidnapped. I practically own this tiny little town and my brethren have infiltrated nearly every business and organization. Only the small businesses remain and they're of no importance to me. Just the vermin trying to make a dime. No, wherever that little tramp went, she went willingly."

He paused in thought again. "It's time to search the not so obvious places. Let's try the cab companies, take a picture of her them and if you must bribe them for information, do it. I want that little vagrant home by dinner time."

As soon as Peterson was gone, he got up and walked back to his bedroom, where the mistress that he kept now was still asleep. He needed another massage. These whores that hung all over him were ever so easy to please. They, unlike his ex wife, were easy to replace, and expected nothing more than sex, money, and to be wined and dined. And best of all, they did what they were told.

The little waif that had come from the union between that ungrateful wretch and himself had been an unwanted burden, and he would have happily paid someone to drop the little parasite off at the farthest orphanage, but then he decided that maybe the little squalling demon would be more useful to him as a prop, to make him look good to the press. A single father who doted on his only child was looked upon more fondly then a man with just lots of money and power. It had been nothing to annul his marriage and pay that bitch to go away. She'd done a smart thing by leaving and never showing her ugly face to him again. He looked forward to the day he could get rid of the teen-aged brat and live the life he wanted to. He'd spun the story of the annulment easily enough in his favor; he could do the same thing just as easily, Maybe, just maybe he could spin the story of his daughters running off in his favor too. A grieving father would garner just as much sympathy as a lonely one could.

He grinned briefly, but then rubbed his head again. He closed to door to his bedroom behind him and fell once more in to the arms of the whore whom was just now stirring from her sleep.

As soon as his hangover went away, he'd shower and then hold a press conference and get things going. He couldn't wait to cast off his last real burden.

Freedom would be so sweet.

* * *

><p>Conner felt much better as he walked with Kira hand in hand towards the elevator, and Dr. O walking ahead of him. When the doors opened, they all got on and Conner pulled Kira close to him and planted a soft kiss to her cheek and she smiled up at him.<p>

"The others won't be happy when we tell them the outcome of Kim's interrogation," their mentor said once the doors were closed. "Especially Tanya and Aisha...be prepared for anything."

"Doctor O, are you actually scared of them?" Conner asked with a smirk on his face.

Tommy turned to them with a grave face. "Very much so. You'll learn soon enough, that while we male rangers have all the brawn and some of us the brains. The women are the ferocious ones. We men, especially the red rangers, are at their mercy 90% percent of the time. When they're pissed at us they're very scary. The sooner you learn that, Conner the better off you'll be."

Conner looked down at a smirking Kira. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Kira chuckled and leaned into him more.

Dr. O wasn't wrong. Tanya was all but spitting sparks at them. Aisha was a little calmer but Kira could see the flaming furnace in her eyes.

"Tanya, I know none of us likes this, but deep down to our bones, we are Power Rangers. I know none of us likes this, but she came to us seeking asylum. No matter how we feel, we can't turn away a young girl who asked us for help. Aisha, this girl was raped by the guy who attacked Kyle. She's given us intel and Kim interrogated her to the point of tears. It's been proven that she's carrying a baby. I won't deny that she's caused us enough trouble to warrant your anger, but she's still more innocent then that jerk that carved up your son's arm. I'm following Kim's lead on this, and if she's under Kim's protection then she's under mine, too." Tommy swallowed again and waited out the fury that was sure to come.

Both mothers were really quiet and Tommy could all but hear the silent war going on inside them.

Rocky gathered his wife into his arms and kissed her head. "He's right Mama Bear. We have bigger fish to fry."

Aisha took a deep breath and then nodded.

Adam held his wife close. "She's nothing compared to the real monsters out there. She's a victim too now and I trust Kim's judgment. If she says that Nina was telling the truth then I believe her. We don't have to like it, but we're rangers and she's a young girl that needs help. It would be dishonorable to turn my back on her. But my first duty is to you, and if you want to leave then we'll pack up and go."

Tanya shook her head. I know it's wrong to run, but I don't think I can do this right now. I trust Kim's judgement but I want more time to deal with all this. I can't promise to act like the good mother I am right now. I want to go away for a little while."

Autumn held Kyle's hand as the adults turned to them. She looked at her parents bravely. "I don't want anything to do with her either. I just can't do this right now."

Adam sighed. He really didn't blame her as she was the one that Nina had gone after. His mind was made up, if his wife wanted to go away for a bit, then he was gone too.

Rocky glanced at his son. "Do you feel the same way?"

Kyle nodded. "I could care less about the lies that Nina spread about me. But I'm not gonna leave Autumn alone in this. Where she goes I go."

Rocky felt pride in his son swell up in his chest.

"We'll keep them with us and watch them both." Kira said with a glance at Conner, "They'll help us out with the wedding stuff and tonight we'll all camp out in the dojo or spa house. That way you guys can take care of Nina and none of us have to be around for it."

Kayla tugged on her dad's hand. "Daddy can I go with them? I'm their wedding helper."

Tommy frowned. This was one time he'd have to tell his baby girl no. He sensed the tension rolling off his niece and nephew. He picked his daughter up and held her close. "I'm sorry Little Ninja. I think that this is the one time that Autumn and Kyle need time with Kira and Conner. But hey, how about you and I have some fun today...didn't you want to see those new baby penguins at the zoo? I looked it up online and they're in their new home now."

Kayla's sunny expression lit up the room and she hugged her dad's neck. "Let's go! Can I get that stuffed panda too?"

Tommy chuckled. Kim was gonna have his head if he bought their daughter one more plushie...but with the hopeful puppy dog eyes she was giving him...damn it was hard to tell his baby girl no. Besides, Kim was too busy with Nina to put him in the dog house...he should be safe. "Sure sweetheart But first we need to pack up your duffle bag, we're staying in the bird house tonight."

Kayla kissed his cheek and then squirmed to get down. Within minutes she had literally stuffed every item of clothing in her bag. Most likely everything was now wrinkled. He shrugged inwardly. 5 bucks and a trip to the laundromat after the zoo and everything would be right as rain. Kim would understand. She hugged Kira and Conner and everyone else good bye before she tugged her dad's hand out of the room.

Her uncles chuckled at how tightly The Winged Lord Of The Skies was wrapped around his daughter's finger. The women's thoughts were otherwise occupied.

Conner smiled and held Kira flush against him. One day, he hoped to be the one wrapped around his own daughter's finger. One day...but first he needed to make sure his future wife was safe so that their future children would be safe too.

"I know that look," Rocky said. "Spill it."

Conner smiled at his predecessor. "We're going to trap ourselves a poser."

The ranger veteran was quiet for a moment and then sat down. "Really? Do tell."

When Conner had told them everything, Rocky was nodding. "You make me proud, Conner. It's a well thought out plan. Take the wedding out of Angel Grove and therefore out of the AGPD jurisdiction. If you're right and the corruption hasn't spread to Reefside, then the police there are more likely to do something when Roger falls into the trap."

"Exactly."

Aisha had been quiet up till then. "When's the last time you were at the house? The one in Reefside?"

Conner shrugged. "I lived in the house up until Kira had her incident. The house is huge, but I only ever used the master bedroom with its bath, the kitchen and the living room. There's at least 10 other rooms, not counting my twin's room which he hasn't been using since he left the house to go to Ninja School. After my parents died, I didn't really have the heart to go near the other areas. Our lawyer screwed us over and after the funeral, whatever staff we had came back to close up the portion of the house not in use. It's all dustcovers and I'm sure the garden is well grown over. It's gonna need some work before we hold the wedding there. Dr. O dismissed the extra help when they were done."

Aisha nodded looking relieved then she looked at Rocky and then at Tanya and Adam. "I'm no coward, but I don't really think I can behave properly with Nina in the house. I think I'd be of more use preparing the house in Reefside for the wedding."

"You don't have a cowardly bone in your body." Tanya said. "I think we'll join you, that's a big house and you shouldn't have to shoulder all that work yourself." Saying this she looked at her husband.

Adam hugged her close and kissed her. "Where you go, I go." He looked at his daughter. "As long as you're okay with it. I think your mother and I need to remove ourselves from the situation. You can come with us if you want to. I think you guys are old enough to make this kind of decision, though I have a feeling you've already made it."

Kyle nodded fighting a smile. "Like I didn't see the test in the garbage. I know you and Mom need some time alone. I'll be fine with Conner and Kira."

Rocky looked at Aisha and then at his son. "How?"

"Two days ago, it was my chore to empty the trash cans in the rooms. I saw it when I emptied them out. Personally I'm hoping for a little sister."

Rocky laughed. "Gosh, you sounded just like me for a moment."

Aisha grinned at her son. "Yes, it's true. I'm gonna have a baby in about 7 months. Are you really okay with it?"

"Yeah, what's one more kid around here?"

Rocky chuckled and kissed Aisha. "Our son continues to surprise me."

* * *

><p>Later that night<p>

The shopping trip had been a big success. With Jenn and Taylor helping with the selection, (both body guards had tailed them after meeting up with them in the hotel parking lot) the girls had found the perfect dresses and the boys had found two cheap but nice tuxes from the sale rack. All told, they didn't spend more than two hundred and fifty bucks for everything. Even though the girl's dresses were nothing compared to the real dresses found at Alma's they still managed to look stunning...at least to the eyes of Conner and Kyle.

Kira had found a simple dress with a sweetheart neckline and lace overlay. After trying it on along with a simple white veil, she looked gorgeous. Conner had yet to see the real bridal dress, as he'd been shooed out by Alma at the time, but if this was the fake dress, he couldn't wait to see the one she'd wear to the real wedding!

As for Autumn, she'd found a simple demure looking dress with flowing cap sleeves. It was done in a pale pink and would fit the wedding perfectly. After everything was paid for, they made a trip to the Angel Grove Mall, where after having some lunch in the food court, they made one last trip to Icing and picked out a pretty white sparkling headband to go with it. They had yet to find a good necklace for either girl, so with their purchases, they headed back to the house briefly to pick up some clothes and then headed to the spa house.

Now, as the girls were sitting by or in the jacuzzi, most likely giving each other mani/pedis...which neither Conner or Kyle knew the difference between, the guys were sitting in the spa, which was the latest addition to the manor, just letting off steam. All through the shopping process, which neither guy really complained about, Conner had noticed how the younger boy had a hard time staying still, even while being fitted for the tuxes. He wasn't sure whether it was the fact that he kept glancing all about him as if expecting to be attacked by the mannequins, or if it was the fact that the man who was fitting him had been so obviously flamboyant in his sexuality that it made him uncomfortable.

Conner knew that the associate hadn't meant them any harm, but he did wonder if Kyle was still suffering from his trauma. He remembered hearing Rocky talking about the possibility of his son having PTSD, which could explain a lot. Although he hadn't been sexually assaulted, having a strange man touching him may have made Kyle very uncomfortable. Before anything more happened, he'd discretely whispered the problem to the lady helping him and within a minute, the nice but odd man had been pulled away and been sent to help Conner, while the woman took over Kyle's fitting. Conner had sighed in relief, disaster adverted. The rest of the fitting had gone on without a hitch, but even now Conner could still feel that the younger boy was still tense...way too tense...

"Are you okay, dude?" He asked Kyle.

The younger boy hesitated, but then nodded.

"There's no reason to be ashamed of the PTSD. You're not-"

"Yes there is!" Kyle all but shouted at him. "I'm the son of two Power Rangers, they fought giant monsters and got away completely unscathed. I got attacked by one man and I'm acting like a wuss!"

Conner nodded. "I can see your point, but you should know that the whole unscathed thing isn't as true as you would believe. Why do you think your dad is so vigilant with you? I've heard the war stories from your parents. You wanna know why your Uncle Adam doesn't like horror flicks? Or why your Uncle Billy refuses to eat seafood, or hell why your Uncle Tommy never lets your Aunt Kim go anywhere alone?"

Kyle shook his head.

"Because Uncle Adam had a nightmare involving the baddies they were fighting. Your uncle Billy always had the fear of anything even slightly fishy, but the enemy exploited that fear in an attempt to destroy him. He faced his fear and won, but to this day he stays away from any and all Red Lobsters...and any other seafood place you can think of. Uncle Tommy was the leader of the first team, once he got his white ranger powers, and that leadership carried him through till he chose TJ as his replacement.

Now, any villain knows that the only way to bring down a strong warrior is to attack his heart, so Zedd in particular was constantly going after your Aunt Kimberly. After she was kidnapped that last time, just before your Aunt Katherine took over her spot on the team, Zedd nearly killed her. Tommy got there just in time to save her and had a most epic battle against their arch nemesis. Many people think that your Aunt Kimberly left the team to give Kat a chance to redeem herself, but really your Uncle Tommy begged her to, for her health and on the off chance that she got captured again, so it wouldn't jeopardize the team. There was a hell of a fight between them, from what I'm told...and it nearly ended their relationship. But in the end Kimberly realized that Tommy begged her to, not because he thought she was weak, but because he was the weak one and couldn't bear the thought of losing her. With her being out of danger, Tommy was able to concentrate more fully on his job as the leader."

Kyle looked at him wide eyed, "Really?"

Conner nodded. "So you see, none of us really were left unscathed. We all bore scars at one time or another. Even me. The one time that my team lost our powers and our mentor all in the same day, scared me to death. Though none of it was our fault, we still were forced to leave our city defenseless against an attack. Once we did get our powers back and defeated the monster, the whole experience made me wonder if I was fit to lead the team. But I didn't have a choice. I was the red ranger, so no matter how I viewed myself, I had no choice but to keep fighting. The whole experience made me stronger and even more determined to win. It made me a better man. And so when the situation with Kira came up, I found that I had become a man. If I reacted to the whole incident, like I would have before I became a ranger, I might have pretended I didn't know Kira and walked away. But being a ranger, seeing the woman I love in danger, I first made sure Scott was out of the picture, and then I made sure Kira was okay...and in the process let her give me a major beat down...and let me tell you, she definitely doesn't hit like a girl. That bruise she left me took two weeks to fade away. Anyway, the point I'm making is that not a single one of us was the same after being a power ranger, and we still bear scars one way or another. We just learned to lean on each other to help us through it."

Kyle didn't look that convinced. Conner took a deep breath and decided to bring home the point.

"You come from an impressive heritage...but that doesn't make you invincible. You were well trained...both of you were...and just like you we all expected that bastard to go after Autumn, who is usually the obvious target...and so we all set up the plan to protect and keep an eye on Autumn. But we were all surprised and unprepared when the guy went after you instead. You were well trained and you fight just as well as your dad and even better than me. The bastard attacked you from behind and you just weren't ready for it."

"You can ask any of us, and we'll all tell you that your PTSD is nothing to be ashamed about...you just need to get passed it. It'll take some time, but I think you have what it takes to overcome it and when you do, you'll be an even better man for it."

Kyle nodded. He'd been given a lot to think about.

Once their timer went off, they both got up and walked out of the sauna and into the boys' locker room where they both got dressed into their sleep pants and tank tops. They rejoined the girls who were just finishing their pampering and spent some more time talking about the wedding plans before they went to the dojo where some very comfy looking cots were set up for the kids, and two more sleeping bags were set up for Conner and Kira.

Conner made sure everyone was settled down for the night and then he made sure the door was closed and turned off the lights.

With a soft smile he returned to Kira's side and slid onto the pallet they'd made from the two separate sleeping bags and pulled Kira close to him and then promptly fell asleep. It had been a long day for them, but things were well on its way and his thoughts centered on the next step of their plan.

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><p><strong>So, what did you all think of Conner's plan? Let me know in your reviews!<strong>

**Catch you all in the next chapter!**


	27. Impending Storm

**And we're back! **

**I know it's really late at night, but since you have all been nice and patient, I decided to post this update now.**

**Mega thanks and kudos goes to Mertmidnightangel for smoothing over all my mistakes and typos. **

**Let's see, I don't think there are any necessary warnings for this chapter, just the normal things you have all become used to. **

**I was beyond amazed when I noticed that this fic has already surpassed 300 reviews! I'm just flattered at all the love this story has gotten. Thank you all so very much!**

**Other then that, I shall see you all at the bottom! I'm sure you will all have a lot to say by then. *grin***

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><p>"...my daughter has been missing from school since yesterday morning and I'm sure you parents out there can understand the distress this has caused me. I don't understand why she's run away from me. I've done my best to love her and provide for all her needs. I'm really hoping that this is all just a emotional teenager thing and that she will come back home to me very soon. For that reason, I'm prepared to offer a half a million dollar reward for any information that leads to her safe return."<p>

Nina scoffed. "That's all I'm worth? Half a million? He paid more than that for his European vacation last year."

Kimberly only sighed as she sat next to her charge. Before them sat a small feast of eggs, toast, sausage and tall glasses of milk for each of them. On the far wall, a nice sized flat screen TV played the breaking news of the morning. A father's desperate plead for his daughter's safe return.

The man made Kim's 6th sense prickle. She could all but see the horns stand at attention. He was a shmoozy lying bastard pretending to be a good father. She knew that should Kayla or even the tiny one growing inside her, go missing she'd be offering every cent in their bank account to get them back. Or that's what she would have done. In the meantime she, Tommy and every available Power Ranger team, including the Dino Thunder team would be out scouring the entire state of California looking for their children.

The snake on the screen was merely offering a small fortune for information. A slight chill ran down Kimberly's spine...and he was no doubt also sending men to interrogate whomever they suspected had a part in Nina's disappearance. They were all a part of that rednecks group pretending to be patriotic men. The press conference was nothing more than a distraction. The real danger could be lurking anywhere, even outside the gates of the manor.

Kimberly took a deep breath as the sleaze on the screen droned on.

"Please, if anyone has information as to my daughter's whereabouts, please call the Angel Grove Police Department. He hesitated for a few moments and then looked directly at the screen. "Nina, honey. I don't know where you are, but please come home to me. I don't care about what might have happened to make you run away, but know that you can come home, and we can be just like we were before, I won't judge you at all. You need to come back where you belong, safe and sound with me." Then the brief emotional moment ended and he addressed the press. "Thank you for your time."

In the next moment, the news anchor reappeared and gave her comment on the story and then the number for the AGPD once again. A moment passed and she went on to other breaking news stories.

Kimberly switched the TV off. "You won't have to worry about being found, even if they do find out you came here, we are perfectly safe here."

Nina only nodded and went back to eating her breakfast.

Kimberly closed her eyes and took a moment to center herself and then she picked up the cell phone she carried with her and dialed up the number for Ashton.

* * *

><p><strong>At a Starbucks just on the other side of the Reefside City Limits<strong>

Kira grinned at Conner as he reached out and drew her to him by her belt loops. He grinned back at her and kissed her lips just as she wrapped her arms around him and pressed him against the passenger side of the Mustang.

Once they came up for air, Kira rested her head against his shoulder. She felt so much more at ease in this place, with not only Conner but the Parks, DeSantos' and of course Jen and Wes who still acted as their body guards, should anyone recognize them...and they would soon.

For this trip, Taylor and Eric stayed behind; the latter had been down in the ranger room working on some plan of his. Conner didn't ask him what, but Taylor had brought down the pot of coffee and some breakfast sandwiches with her and had closed the door, just as he and Kira came down the stairs. Conner didn't bother prying information. He had nothing but trust and respect for the ranger veteran. Whatever the guy was working on, he knew that it would be just one more thing that could insure his bride's protection.

Conner leaned in and deepened the kiss, and Kira responded enthusiastically.

Wes and Jen came out of the door hand in hand and stopped seeing the sparks flying. Wes grinned at his wife. "Remember when we were like that?"

Jen grinned at him. "Yep, being in love like that, the night you proposed to me, thank goodness limos don't talk. It would have a hell of a story to tell."

Wes grinned at her. "Yeah, that night you seduced a poor innocent college boy and relieved him of his...innocence."

"Hey, you never told me to stop. And by the time we christened the new house, you had become quite the expert and if I'm not mistaken, that was the night our daughter was conceived. You were insatiable, if I recall, and had a difficult time walking the next day."

"I had a really good teacher." Was all Wes said as he lifted up their entwined hands and kissed his wife's knuckles. When they looked up, the teens were watching them with raised eyebrows. Jen cleared her throat and looked at her husband.

Her husband didn't look ashamed at all, he chuckled. "If you're going to convince this reporter that you're a rich engaged couple throwing a lavish wedding then you must play the part and sell it for all it's worth." He had their attention so he kissed his wife and then walked towards them as she got into the SUV and started it up. "You have no shame, and you've finally got it all. You are in love and want the whole world to know. This isn't time to be demure. You need to shed the Ranger Boy skin. And become a civilian if you want this to work. Now, this Cassidy Cornelle, does she have any idea what you two did for hobbies?"

Conner nodded. "Yeah, she spied on us along with her boyfriend. She had the proof on tape yet handed the tape over to us. She knows but I seriously doubt she'd betray us."

"And the boyfriend?"

"Devin is even more loyal. He can be a little slow on the uptake, but he's a good guy. He's the one to keep her level. We can trust them both."

"Good. Then let's get going. We have the studio on GPS. We should be there in about twenty minutes."

* * *

><p>Cassidy grinned as they came in. She looked a little more mature now as it had been about two years since graduation. Her hair was now pulled up in an elegant twist and she wore a silk blouse and a high end looking pencil skirt. Around her neck was a delicate gold chain with what looked like a high school ring hanging from it.<p>

Their friend noticed and grinned. "It's Devin's. He gave it to me just after graduation...we've been going steady ever since! But look at you, Mrs. soon to–be McKnight. I hear congrats are in order!"

Kira grinned at the bubbly reporter. "Thank you! How's reporter life treating you?"

"It's wonderful, thank you! I think I'm finally proving myself to my boss, I'm hoping for a promotion to the morning news team soon. Only time will tell! Now, Conner, you called me about a news story?"

Conner nodded. "Yes, I wanted a nice big engagement announcement in the paper, Now that I've come of age, I'm taking full advantage of my family name. I'm...we're throwing a lavish wedding for our family and friends...and, I just want everyone to know about us!"

Cassidy smirked. "Well, you did always like being the center of attention. Come into my office and we'll get the announcement taken care of!"

Conner grinned at Kira and kissed their entwined hands and led her to her office.

* * *

><p><strong>Mr. Ricskhaw's office<strong>

**Just after lunch**

"We found a lead. A taxi driver remembered picking her up and from the school and taking her to a place called Pebble Brook Manor. It's private property, so he could only drop her off at the gates. He watched her walk down the drive way."

Mr. Rickshaw paused and seemed to think...and then a triumphant grin spread across his face.

The assistant sighed with relief when he saw how pleased his boss was.

"Very good, I'll have them arrested for kidnapping. My daughter will be back where she belongs and they'll be run out of Angel Grove before long. The Grand Dragon will be pleased with me. Go call the chief."

"Yes sir!"

"We leave at sundown."

* * *

><p><strong>Angel Grove Police Station<strong>

"Kelman!"

Fred looked up from his desk as his chief walked into his cubicle.

"Sir!" Fred said, standing at attention.

"You're going to be accompanying Officer Sweeny tonight for a kidnapping takedown."

"Kidnapping, but isn't that in Special Victim's department?"

"We've located Nina Rickshaw, her father has found her location and he wants a police escort."

It was all Fred could do to not give away what he knew. The last thing he needed was to have his cover blown. Instead, he only nodded and sat back down at his desk. He slumped in his desk and prayed to God that Kimberly and the others would be okay. He sat for a there a few minutes more and then got an idea, he pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial for his wife.

He smiled hearing his woman's voice on the other end.

"Hey baby, how's your day going?"

"We're good. I think our son has an ear infection, I've already called Dr. Padma and made an appointment, but other than that, everything's good. How's work?"

"Uh, that's why I'm calling, I'm working really really late tonight. It's a case I can't talk about."

"Oh baby you work way too hard."

Fred grinned, glad that his wife had caught on. "I'm looking forward to kidnapping you and taking you as far away from Angel Grove for a week or two. How does Colorado Springs sound?"

He could just see the grin that spread across his wife's face. "Divine. I still have a few weeks of Maternity leave. As soon as you get time off for good behavior, we're in the wind. I even bought some new naughty things for us to enjoy too."

"You shouldn't tease a needy man baby. If I wasn't being watched like a hawk, I would leave now and race home faster than the law allows. Hey, it isn't too late to call a baby sitter is it?"

"Behave Fred, that's how we got our son isn't it?"

"I have no shame when it comes to you, Baby. But anyway, I'll be home and next to you as soon as the job is done. Be ready for me."

His wife chuckled on the line and then hung up.

Fred sat back in the seat and wished with all his heart that it was quitting time already.

* * *

><p><strong>Back at The Manor<strong>

Kayla felt really restless. She looked up at her Mom who was busy talking with Ashton and Nina, and another boy who had come with the older Native American man. Her head felt funny too like her head was dizzy and she suddenly found she had no patience for her coloring book. She wanted to throw a tantrum...but she knew that Mommy would be mad at her and put her in timeout if she did.

She put her head in her hands and tried to breathe like her daddy had taught her to when she was angry or scared. For a solid minute the little girl sat cross-legged and closed her eyes counting to twenty. When she opened her eyes she was still upset.

Sighing she got up and threw her crayon down and rubbed her eyes.

Kimberly looked up at her daughter. "Kayla, what's wrong baby?"

"I feel funny...but you're busy. I'm gonna go find daddy."

Kimberly got up from the kitchen table, where she had been having coffee and talking with their friends. The boy Ashton had brought with him had been yet another silenced victim of Rickshaw. After Kyle's attack, and Fred's revelation, Ashton had been called in and told everything. Kim's 'wifey sense' had been tingling all day and she had a bad feeling that they were about to be attacked. They'd already hired Ashton to be their lawyer for all things legal. They'd been going over every legal issue from the deed on the house to their possible conflict with Rickshaw and even the impending clash with TSA.

But the moment she saw something wrong with her baby, Kayla became the focus of her attention. She walked over to her little ninja girl and knelt before her. Biting her lip she held the back of her hand to her daughter's forehead.

"Humm...you don't feel hot and your cheeks aren't flushed. Does your tummy hurt?"

"My head feels fuzzy and I'm scared...and mad...and I don't want to get in trouble for it."

Kimberly thought for a moment. "You won't get in trouble, baby, if you have a real reason for being angry or scared. Can you tell me what is making you upset?"

Kayla shook her head, but then she spontaneously clung to her mom and started crying. Kimberly knelt all the way on the floor and held her daughter close. Her baby's heartbeat was racing...but she also felt a strange energy coming from her tiny body. She waited a few moments and then held her daughter at arm's length and then looked into her eyes. They were glowing a faint green.

"The Great Power," She murmured softly.

Instantly she understood. She turned back to their guests. "You guys carry on; I need to find my husband."

Kayla looked at her mother and whispered in her mom's ear. "We gotta warn Daddy, something bad's coming."

Kimberly nodded. "Ok, let's go find Daddy."

Kayla ran for back door just as Tommy reached the porch. He held his arms out and his daughter and she jumped into them hugging him tightly. He immediately wrapped her up in his arms, feeling her little body shaking. He looked over her shoulder, giving her a look of confusion. Kimberly pointed to her eye and then at their daughter.

He was even more confused and then looked into Kayla's eyes and swore inwardly. He held her closer to him and walked back out to the porch and sat her down on one of their wicker chairs. "Kayla, everything's going to be okay, I know you're scared right now."

"Daddy, I feel mad and scared and I think something bad is coming. Mommy said great power and told me to go warn you. What are we gonna do?"

Tommy was completely unprepared. He had talked about this possibility when they found out Kim was expecting. But without Zordon or Alpha to give them answers, they had nothing to reference. Not even Billy could help them out. He knew everything about the morphing grid and their zords, but didn't know about any possible inherited powers. Just after Kayla had been born, he'd been called to help with the Red's mission and he'd taken the time to ask Andros, but the red space ranger had told them that he didn't know for sure. He'd never heard of that kind of thing happening to ranger babies. For the first couple of years, they'd kept a close eye on Kayla and this was the first time she'd had glowing green eyes. He really didn't know what to do...but he had to do something.

"Okay, my little Ninja. Do you remember the breathing exercises I showed you?"

Kayla nodded. "I tried Daddy, but they didn't help!"

"It's okay, Ninja girl. Everything's going to be alright."

Moments later, Psyche and Mischief started barking and as Tommy looked up, racing for the front yard. Tommy looked at Kayla again and picked her up and headed back in to the house. When they got to the front stoop they saw Fred's car pull in with the other rangers pulling in behind it

Tommy looked at his baby girl and he gently lowered her to the porch. "Stay here Kayla. I'm gonna go find out what's going on.

He walked out to the car and stood as the engine shut down and Mrs. Kelman stepped out. She looked at him. "Fred called me, and told me that the police are heading here. They think you kidnapped Nina Rickshaw, and they are sending a force in to rescue her. I just know it's gonna be bad or Fred wouldn't have told me to run."

Tommy nodded. "You'll be safe here, grab your son and let's get you inside."

As she did so, Billy and Jason walked towards them with their wives following. Jason looked over Tommy's shoulder to Kayla who was watching them avidly. Her eyes had started to glow brighter. "Want to tell me why my Goddaughter's eyes are glowing like that?"

"We're not sure, but she may have inherited my powers...or her mom's. She's suddenly got really upset and her eyes started glowing. "

"That makes sense." Billy said. "Fabian's been acting strange. He's never given us trouble before, but when Kat tried to give him a bath today his mood changed and he actually threw a tantrum. You think it might be Ninjetti related?"

Tommy shrugged. "Anything is possible. That's what Dulcea told us."

"In the meantime, the cavalry has come and Andros is on the way to give us backup."

That was when Ethan walked up with Melanie, followed by Zack and Callista. "So Dr. O, what's the plan?

* * *

><p><strong>So, what are your thoughts? Leave them for me in the review box!<strong>


	28. Showdown!

***Takes a deep breath* So, here's the next chapter. I had no idea it would be this long as I have no word count on processor I'm using. There is a lot in this chapter, so you should probably pace yourselves. I told you it would get worse, and it has..**

**So, just to cover my butt, I'm issuing a tissue alert and a ****profanity/violence alert. **

**Once again, Kudos goes to Mertmidnightangel for her beta skills. This was a killer chapter to write and it must have been a real pain in the butt to read through and edit. LOL. **

**I guess that's everything. **

**Everyone buckled in? Yes? Okay, read on and I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

><p>"So Dr. O, what's the plan?<p>

Tommy thought hard for a minute and then looked over at Jason who was busy looking his goddaughter over.

"Rickshaw is making his move, and he will be trying to make us look like kidnappers...and from what Fred's wife said, he's bring the cops with him. They're going to invade our property in an attempt to subdue us. If that was all there was to it, then I wouldn't be worried. But from the incident with Kyle, I can tell you that these are very corrupt cops and they're more than likely on the payroll of the TSA."

Ethan nodded. "So I'm guessing that police brutality isn't an issue with them either."

Tommy shook his head with a sigh and looked at the kids in the room. Trini was holding a squirmy 9 month old. Fabian was sitting on the countertop next to Billy as he tapped away on a very fancy looking laptop. Callista was busy talking softly to her son Kai with Zack standing with them holding a very scared looking Alex. Eric and Taylor had sent their kid with their friends, out of harm's way. Logan, Kailen and Iris had decided to stay at the hotel for a while longer. With Logan's savings account, they could definitely afford to stay by the pool side. Finally, Ashton stood by watching it all with a hand on the shoulder of a young man that had only that day been brought over, the shrewd lawyer had told him that the kid who looked to be around Nina's age had also been a victim of Rickshaw. He looked tense, but he also gave his big protector a trusting look.

Finally, Tommy looked at his daughter. "The first thing to do is to get the kids somewhere safe. We don't know how those cops work. It's best to get the kids into the basement, away from all of this. There are no windows down there to be busted in...and there's only one way out of there, and that's the steps. Ethan and Melanie, I think you two should go down with the kids."

"I'll go with them." said a voice neither of them had heard in a while. Tommy's head snapped up seeing Trent, Elsa and Anton walking through the door followed by some strange men that he'd never seen before.

"Trent, it's been a while. How's art school?" he said trying to keep his cool. He eyed the men behind him. "And who are these guys? This is our safe house, so you better have a good reason for letting them on to the property."

"Your pit bulls thought the same way," said one of the strangers. He strode forward flashing a badge. "I'm Agent Seth Halloway with the FBI. These men are in my group. We've been investigating the TSA for a while now and caught wind through one of our informants that you guys were their next target. We also know that you're a Power Ranger."

Tommy closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That is a closely guarded secret. How did you find out? Who told you?"

"We've known since the beginning. Within months of you guys showing up on our planet, we used voice recognition and it didn't take long to figure out your identities. You've done a lot for the Earth and so we decided to just leave you to do your work without interference...though we came close to coming after you when Ivan Ooze showed up and destroyed downtown. We didn't know what to think when you guys left."

Jason came up to them, crossing his arms in front of him as Tommy explained. "Ivan Ooze destroyed our powers. We had to go in search of replacement power and we won't tell you where. Just know that the planet we went to is far beyond the range of NASA. That place is sacred to us and we don't want any suits trying to go there. Not that the Guardian would let you pass anyway."

"We leave space exploration to the astronauts. Our concern is gathering intelligence on the TSA."

"Then you should know that they are on their way here," Jason said. "This is our fight and we're more than capable of handling the issue ourselves."

Seth shook his head. "No, we're not going to intervene in this. We just want to observe, that's why we didn't show up in our suits and sunglasses."

Tommy nodded looking at Jason. "Your thoughts on this?"

"You can understand our skepticism after that whole incident with that flashy general trying to usurp our friends in Mariner Bay," said Jason. "That put every living ranger veteran on edge. How can you guarantee that you won't try that sh...crap again with us? We don't want to be investigated. The first rule of being a power ranger is that our identities must be kept a secret. For us at least."

"It must be tough to keep things a secret for so long. In exchange for your cooperation, we'll keep any other interested parties off your trail, and once our business is finished, we'll forget everything we know about what happened here. We'll even turn a blind eye to your plans for letting Kyle DeSantos get that tattoo on his arm, even though doing so is illegal for any minor to get ink, no matter the reason."

"I believe it's called extenuating circumstances." Kim said looking pretty fierce. She stood in front of Tommy and despite her smaller stature, Seth stepped back a foot or two. "Would you really want that boy to go through the next few years marked with those hateful symbols on his arm? To be mocked and ridiculed every time he wants to go sleeveless? Summer in Angel Grove can be horrible...and it would be worse for him if was forced to wear long sleeves every day just to cover it up!" Kim was starting to shake and Tommy gently put an arm on her shoulder.

"Beautiful, it's okay."

Kim angrily threw it off and stood defiantly with her hands on her hips glaring up at the FBI agent.

Jason smirked. "Agent Halloway, though it's usually the yellow rangers who are the most dangerous, it wouldn't be wise to go toe to toe with Kimberly. She's a pregnant mom and our pink ranger. She took down a monster all on her own while she was sick as a dog. It would be a bad mistake to piss her off."

Agent Seth nodded while swallowing hard. "Okay, okay. We' won't interfere at all with the boy getting ink. We're only going to collect our intelligence on the TSA...once our case is done, we'll leave you alone."

Kimberly looked over her shoulder and Tommy. "You heard that, right?"

"We all heard it, Kimberly." Anton said as Elsa nodded.

Suddenly several beeps were heard and Tommy looked down at his communicator. "Tommy here."

"This is Andros...my team is circling the city. We just picked up on a cavalcade of police cars following a black sedan about two miles from the house. If we're going to do this thing, you have to place your team now."

"Thanks Andros. Stand by."

Tommy looked up at his team and felt Kayla tugging on his pant leg. "Daddy, I'm hurting. Those bad guys are really close."

Daddy picked up Daughter and held her close to him. He was conflicted. With his little girl displaying her powers, which were a lot like his, he didn't know whether he should go with his first instinct and send her down to the basement with the other kids or keep her close to him. He didn't get to make the choice. At that very moment the dogs outside growled and from the sounds that followed, they were attacking something. Billy set his son down and ran towards the noise with Kat running behind him. A second later, a smoke bomb was thrown through the kitchen window and started emitting smoke.

That was when Kayla lost her calm. She screamed and in that same moment a green spirit dragon came out of her and flew through the window and strangely enough, a blue wolf cub spirit followed.

"Trini, go!" Jason yelled and the other kids except for Kayla who was currently resting her head on her daddy's shoulder. Ethan grabbed a shaking Fabian and handed him over to Melanie. I'll come get you when this is over." Mel only nodded, pecking a kiss on his cheek and hurried towards the stairs with Trini and Callista following, The latter had both Kai and Alex clutching onto her for dear life. Anton and Elsa followed them. As soon as the door was shut and locked, everyone else split up, getting out of the house as fast as they could.

Tommy looked to his daughter. "Hang on tight, little Dragon. Don't you dare let go of me." Kayla only nodded and crawled to her daddy's back and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Everyone except for Jason, Tommy, Kimberly and Nina, created a perimeter around the manor...they didn't want another attacker creeping up on them.

Then a howl was heard, and it made them all shudder. Tommy closed his eyes, knowing what it meant.

Once they were on the front stoop, Tommy pressed the button on the communicator.

"Andros, come in."

The cavalcade is almost to the door."

"They're already here. Someone threw a smoke bomb through the window."

"Stand by, we're right above you. Carlos, do you see anything?" There was quiet. "Carlos says there are a couple of heat signatures by the side of your house."

"That would be me," Billy chimed in, sounding upset. "Those bastards killed Psyche and Mischief. Thank God Fabian didn't see this. It's pretty bad." Kayla started crying on her daddy's back.

]Whoever it was got scared off by a ghost dragon and a wolf. Ethan and Trent are chasing them down."

Tommy growled. "Do you see Momma and Junior around?"

Suddenly he could hear more howling. "They're here now." Billy answered. "They're safe and sound."

"Bring those two inside. "We'll deal with...Psyche and Mischief later...just cover them up the best you can."

"Affirmative. Billy out."

Tommy took a deep breath...and in the next instant, police sirens could be heard.

Jason squeezed his shoulder and then stood next to him. "This is gonna be a long night."

There were four police cars in all...and a black sedan, which pulled in first.

"Keep calm, everyone. We have the truth on our side." Ashton said as he stood next to Eric and Taylor on the other side of the driveway.

* * *

><p>Jason crossed his arms and stood looking intimidating next to a seriously angry Tommy.<p>

Donald Rickshaw got out of the car looking really satisfied. Four cops walked behind him as he approached the steps. At the head of them was Fred Kelman. Tommy's eyes flashed green, but he kept his breathing steady.

"This is private property," Jason said. "You are trespassing."

"We have probable cause." Rickshaw stated looking smug. "You kidnapped my daughter, and that's a crime. Officers, arrest them."

"It's not kidnapping when Nina came to _our_ door, asking for _our_ help." Tommy said in a steady voice. "There's no other way we can be found. Our address is unlisted and so is our phone number. We already know that you're trying to run us out of town. Unless you've been spying on us, Nina wouldn't even know how to find us."

"You are all a bunch of half breeds. Red Men, Negros and Wet-backs that all decided to mix together. Why would my daughter ever take up with _your_ kind?"

"Because I needed their help," Nina said speaking up. She pushed her way to the front and stood with Jason and Tommy watching her carefully. "You let that monster into the house and let him rape me. If you weren't so busy whoring around with those women, you'd have known he wasn't to be trusted. I didn't feel safe with you, so I found a place with someone who did. These people have taken very good care of me. And I'd rather stay with half breeds then with you in that house playing the dutiful daughter so you can look good in front of the cameras!"

Mr. Rickshaw looked shocked. "Impossible. I chose him very carefully. He's a ruthless bastard with no remorse, but he's no pedophile."

That's a load of crap!" Nina shot back. "He came into my room every night and raped me! I'm pregnant because of him. He called it insurance. In case you threw him under the bus, the cops would be able make the connection between you and him. He goes down, you go down."

"But of course that wouldn't happen, since you bought the police department!" Jason said. "Our source told us that he's practically sitting in the lap of luxury, being catered to. It's that how the wonderful Angel Grove Police Department treats sexual predators? By rewarding them for not being able to keep their dicks in their pants?

"I'm the one with the power here, Mr. Scott. Not one single lawyer will take your case and if you don't get your little half bred asses out of my city, then you'll have so much blood on your hands that you could open your own Red Cross clinic!"

At that, Ashton spoke up. "Actually, you're wrong about that." He walked out from behind Wes and into full view of Mr. Rickshaw. "I'm the lawyer that is looking out for their benefit. I should also let you know that you've been recorded all this time, and with that little shpeal you just leaked, we now have all the proof we need to implicate you in not only the rape of your daughter, but the attack against Kyle De Santos. Should you ever go into custody...which I hope will happen sooner than later, it won't take long for word of your crimes to spread through the prison like wild fire...you had better watch yourself...or you'll become someone's bitch in no time."

At that Mr. Rickshaw's face whitened. He turned to Officer Kelman. "I want that man arrested and taken into custody."

Fred sighed; he really didn't want to arrest his friends. "And what is the charge?"

"For kidnapping my daughter and threatening to slander me."

Ashton grinned and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I wasn't threatening, I was promising. Oh and it can't be called kidnapping if the child willingly came to this residence. From what I heard, she collapsed on the lawn from dehydration. These people, one of whom has medical experience, gave her water and checked her vitals before giving her a good meal. She'll also be getting good care and full prenatal checkups from now until the baby is due. If she wants it, I'll also be starting the process of emancipating Nina. And I'm doing it all for free."

Mr. Rickshaw glared at his daughter. "You're just like your mother. A useless Bitch! Fine, go ahead and stay with these rabble...but don't ever set food near the mansion again or I'll have you arrested for trespassing. You're no daughter of mine!"

Nina frowned and walked closer to the older man. She was practically shaking with anger. "Yeah, but I was never your daughter to begin with. I found out what you did to mom. You got her knocked up, broke your vows, and then paid her to abandon me! I was left to grow up alone and had to pretend that you were the best dad ever. But the moment the cameras were off, you shoved me into the arms of whatever nanny you hired that week and then went back to whoring whatever prostitute would put up with you! These people, the ones you called Half-breeds, have taken better care of me in just two days, then you did all my life! I would not have left home if I had any reason to believe you wouldn't just frog march me to some clinic, force me to destroy the baby and then pretend nothing ever happened. All so you could look like father of the year! But now I'm done, I'm going to stay with these people, have my baby, and live my life...all without your money!" Without another word she turned her back and began walking back towards the steps.

Rickshaw was fuming and he reached for his gun and pulled it out...he cocked the gun and pointed it at Nina. Everyone tensed and then everything went downhill.

All this time, Kayla had been watching the conflict, getting angrier and angrier. When the gun appeared, and she'd been told time and time again about how deadly a gun could be, she lost her control. The ghost dragon responded to her call, his form becoming more corporeal and his size increasing till he stood taller than even her uncle. It roared at him and Rickshaw flinched in fear, immediately pissing himself.

Then the dragon struck, clawing at his exposed skin, leaving angry red scratch marks everywhere. He dropped the gun and covered his face. At that moment, more ghostly animals appeared, surrounding everyone. At Billy's side was a fully grown wolf spirit, and overhead the falcon and the crane soared above everyone. Then the dragon retreated a little bit and the falcon and crane took turns dive bombing him, all screeching in anger. Then out of nowhere, a huge clap of thunder was heard and suddenly a magnificent multicolored spectral bird with a massive beak flew down and raked its talons at Rickshaw's back, causing him to cry out in pain. In fear, Rickshaw turned around and made to run only to run into an angry Conner. He crossed his arms much like Jason had and glared at the older man.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"I'm getting away from you witches!"

Conner grinned at him and looked up at the spectral bird of legend. "That's my animal spirit, the legendary Thunderbird. You come on our land, flinging vulgarities at us, in the presence of children. Then run away like a little pansy when they don't cower in fear and beg for mercy?"

Jason joined him again. "You've angered the spirits that guard our land. I suggest you leave. Take your kindergarten cops and get off our property!"

Rickshaw's lip curled. "You can't tell me what to do, Half-breed. I'll have you arrested for assault and battery."

Jason looked at Conner and then grinned. "Not if I haven't laid my hand on you first, which I don't really want to do. It's enough that you polluted our air with your toxic presence."

Rickshaw narrowed his eyes and took a swing at Jason, but Jason leaned to the side, easily avoiding the punch. Then he glared back at Rickshaw. "You just assaulted me." Then he dropped to the ground and swung his leg out, knocking the older man to the ground. He then stood back up and looked down at him. "Get. Out."

Rickshaw glared at him again, but got up and dusted himself off. "I'll sue you for this, Wet-back"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Actually, I'm an all American white boy. I work a full job and care for my family...and when my daughter is older, she won't have to worry about her father letting a snake into her house to rape her."

Conner smirked at him and Jason smiled back. Then they fist bumped and walked back to the house, leaving the older man to fume at them before getting into his car. The dumbfounded cops left behind quickly got into their patrol cars to leave. Fred lingered for a moment after the rest of them pulled out of the driveway.

He looked over at Tommy, his old mentor. "Take care of my family. I'll be back soon."

Tommy nodded and once Fred was gone, Jason walked back to his niece and carefully removed her from her father's back. She was out cold. He put a thumb to her neck and sighed in relief when he felt a pulse there. Tommy took his daughter back, and with Kimberly following, took her to the room up the stairs.

Conner watched him go, and gently felt Kira's hand slip into his. Jason walked over to him.

"What happened to staying in Reefside?"

Conner looked at Kira. "We'd just gotten to the mini mansion when the kids came running up to the car. Kyle and Autumn were shaking, telling us we had to get back here, and I know better than to doubt their instincts. I just wish we'd gotten here faster. They didn't like it, but I made them stay with their parents, just in case things got bad...it looks as though I was right. Just how bad are things here?"

Jason shook his head just as Ethan and Trent walked up to them a man between them. The figure wore a ski mask and all black clothing. He even wore fingerless gloves. Ethan kicked him in the shins making him fall with a grunt to his knees. Trent held his arms tight behind him.

"Ethan should have been on the football team, with the way he tackled this guy to the ground," Trent said with a laugh.

"He attacked the house, and my mate is in that house...and by extension, my baby. I'm not gonna let anyone bad get near her." Ethan's voice was barely recognizable...he sounded dangerous.

Jason nodded in approval. "Being a soon to be father changes everything. It turns mild mannered computer geniuses into ferocious protectors. Ask Billy if you want more proof."

"It's true," Billy said walking up to them. His arms were stained in blood, though it looked like he'd tried to wipe himself off. "This is the bastard who killed my dogs?"

Jason nodded. "Yep, he was the only one here before the other intruders showed up. Though I think he was meant to be a distraction."

Billy snarled and pulled the ski mask off. He got into the guys face. "You worthless piece of garbage." He drew his fist back and threw a punch which hit hard and blood flowed from his eyes and nose.

Conner swore. "That's the Nazi who attacked Kyle...it's the same dude."

"Are you positive?" asked Agent Seth as he came up with a pair of handcuffs.

"Nina can confirm it." Billy said, still fuming. "The same guy who attacked Kyle and carved him up was the one that raped her. He also just killed two of the sweetest pit bulls I've ever met. They were damned good security dogs too. I don't know what I'm gonna tell my son tonight. Those were his best pals."

Seth didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do to help with that. But, I _can_ assure you that we can get this scum bag away from you." Agent Seth said as he handcuffed his prisoner then pulled him to his feet. "We're taking him out of the state to a high security prison till this case is closed. He won't be bothering you guys anymore." Saying this he handed off the prisoner to the other agents that were with him.

"Did you get the information you needed?" Eric asked coming up to him with Taylor trailing behind.

"Yeah, for now. I was telling the truth when I said I would stay out of your way. I'm sure you guys are planning the next step on how to deal with them. Just, if you're planning to take on anymore of that group, let me in on it. I want to work with you on this, not against you."

Eric took the card and gave it to Taylor. "We'll keep in touch."

Eric nodded. "I'd offer you my number, but I'm sure you guys already have it."

"Big Brother knows it, but I don't." the agent replied. Eric smirked in amusement and handed over his card anyway. Both men shook hands and the agent walked away.

Conner watched them go. "Hey how do you know he's not also working for TSA?

"Because he's from a neighboring tribe. We met at a tribal meeting and have been best friends ever since. I never understood before why he'd want to work for the government, but I do now. Trust me, he's a good, honest man."

Conner only nodded. "What's next?"

Ashton's face darkened. "We go take care of our honored dead."

Billy nodded solemnly. "I know you need to take pictures for proof, but I want to get them a proper burial before my son sees them. I don't want him to see the bodies. He should remember him as they were, as his furry friends."

Conner nodded. "Let's do it then."

* * *

><p>Fred sighed deeply, as he followed the other cars back to the police station. He would have hated himself for arresting the friends that had been so good to him! He was grateful that his wife was out of danger...and his son too. He didn't know how he would explain it to his chief. Technically he had done as he was told, but he was also following the law...and he couldn't make an arrest if there was no probable cause. Still he wondered if it was worth sticking around to see what the next objective was in the agenda. He could resign his position or abandon his post and make the run for the border. Or he could just hide out with his family at the manor until the FBI was done with their job.<p>

Suddenly he felt a jolt. He looked out his rear view mirror and cursed. There was an unmarked police car behind him with flashing lights. He squinted trying to see if he knew which officer was driving. The car revved up again and rammed into his back bumper hard. Fred hit the steering wheel hard and startled when he realized that his air bag hadn't inflated yet. Had someone disabled it?

Bam! This time he'd been hit on the driver's side. He gunned the engine trying his best to get away from the cars, but the attackers shoved into him again, and he was forced into a ditch. He shouted as he felt the car roll with him in it. He closed his eyes for a moment and then he smelled it...burning gasoline.

His eyes widened and he fought hard to get out of the car. Thankfully he was able to disengage his seatbelt and move. It was a big struggle to position himself so that he could move fairly easily. He picked up the police laptop that had been installed in his car and he tossed it with all his might and was able to break the window. He gasped in pain as he gently maneuvered himself over the shards still attached to the window. He could feel warm blood spewing from somewhere...but he couldn't think about it now. He had to get to safety, and then he could worry about his injuries.

Once he was on the ground, he looked about him and saw the shiny laptop. He grabbed it really quick and began to crawl out of the ditch as fast as he could, but then the patrol car exploded. He cried out as he felt a piece of broken glass lodge in his leg. It was so hot now! The pure adrenaline that had been pumping through his system was starting to wane and though he was a good few feet away, he could still feel the heat. After crawling about 20 feet, his strength gave out and he lost consciousness.

A few minutes later, a red truck pulled up having seen the blaze. The man and the woman both raced to Fred's side. The woman touched her fingers to his neck. "He's alive, but badly burned. He's also got something in his leg, he's bleeding."

The man nodded and removed his belt. He hurriedly handed it to his wife. "Dana, let's get this man to the manor, Tommy said not to trust anyone in Angel Grove." Once the belt was tightened enough to halt the flow of blood to the leg, they lifted him up, working as one, and buckled him into the bag seat. After Dana got him in the back, Carter maneuvered the truck and set off for the Manor.

* * *

><p><strong>There's alot there and I want to briefly explain my self. I love animals madly and I hated having to kill off Psyche and Mischief, but I realized that any bad guy would shoot an attacking dog. And this Nazi asshole would be no different. I hated having to do it, but there was really no way to avoid it.<strong>

**There were some victories and some tragedies in this chapter, but I hope you are all happy that Rickshaw got run of the property and the Nazi dude got taken down and is now in FBI custody. **

**Please, let me know your thoughts in that lovely little box below. See you all next chapter!**


	29. The Dust Settles

**And the story continues! I don't have a lot of time for the author's notes so lets get right to it. **

**For those of you who haven't read the little one shot The Wolf and His Cub, I suggest it. It takes place between the last chapter and this one. It's the Father's Day fic, I wrote for this year, and it's all about Billy and his son, and while it's not completely integral to this fic, it would be good to read since Billy and his son Fabian had a part to play in the last chapter.**

**Mega thanks to Mertmidnightangel for not letting me butcher the references to Sailor Moon. I just started watching the cartoons and it's been a while since I watched the Live Action version of the show. I'd also like to thank her for helping with the Legal Mumbo Jumbo. I've no head for that kind of stuff, thank goodness she does! LOL**

**Also, I'd like to remind everyone that in this version, the power ranger suits along with most of the arsenal didn't just disappear after the battle, though the Zords and Gemstones were destroyed. How else could the Sentinal from Operation Overdrive bring Kira's power's back, not to mention that when the Original Rangers upgraded their new powers, the suits and small time weaponry were on display in the new command center. **

**Let's see, I think that covers everything, so I'll let you get on with the chapter! **

**Read on!**

* * *

><p><strong>The spa house<strong>

**An hour later**

Connor sank slowly into the bubbling water of the hot tub. Kira smiled at him, not really sure if she should be feeling concern for the haggard look on his face, or guilty for ogling her handsome fiancé. He was all lithe and yet she could tell that his workouts with Dr. O...Tommy were really taking up the slack left by his lack of soccer playing.

When he'd seated himself she scooted over to him and snuggled up to him and sighed contently, when he wrapped an arm around her. Trent cleared his throat then and with a blush, Kira recalled that they weren't alone. Conner only kissed her head and pulled her closer. Across from them sat Ethan and Melanie, and of course, Trent.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked

Conner gave him an incredulous look. "You're kidding right? I just got through burying two guard dogs, who I had really grown to like...can we at least have a few minutes to chill out before we talk about Mr. Soggy drawers?" At that Kira cracked up, making Conner grin. Trent and Ethan just looked confused.

"Ok, what did I miss?" asked the blue ranger.

"Nina's former dad pulled a gun on us and Kayla got really angry. Next thing we know a huge spirit animal charges out of her and attacked him. The old man pissed his Depends and everything." Connor said, looking smug.

"It was fantastic!" Kira added with a grin. "Though I won't claim to be shocked. She's the daughter of a legendary ranger after all."

"I wouldn't say legendary exactly," said a new voice. "After all, I saved two worlds, and he's the ranger veteran that can't seem to quit the spandex."

The Dino Thunder rangers looked up to see Andros and another young man their own age walking towards them.

When Conner looked up at him looking like he was ready to object, Andros added. "That's been an ongoing argument ever since our mission to the moon. I'm not in any way mocking your mentor. In fact, it was him and his team of rangers that got this whole ranger support network started. When we got back from visiting our parents, he helped get us settled in. And not only that, but when that loud guy tried to start a mob to come after Karone and the others, Tommy got them to rethink their views. I don't know what I'd do if he hadn't been there to help us." That seemed to satisfy the latest team of rangers. In fact, by the time Andros and the young man took their seats in the jacuzzi, the kids had started to pick the conversation back up.

Trent nodded at Ethan. "I'm guessing congratulations are in order, Dad"

Ethan grinned. "Yep, we're gonna be parents sometime in July." Ethan said pecking Melanie on the lips.

"And has he been taking good care of you?" Andros asked Melanie.

The girl grinned at Ethan. "Yeah, he's given up a lot to be with me. His house, his dad, his car, all to be with me."

Trent narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Ethan sighed, pulling Melanie closer. "Yeah, it's nothing. Dad wanted me to toss her aside and we fought about it. I'm not his son anymore and he's not my father...he never was. But I really don't want to give that asshole any more thought."

Trent nodded. "You know, just because I'm in art school doesn't mean you can't get a hold of me. Is there anything you need?"

Ethan looked at Melanie again. "Nah, I got everything I need. Conner has been helping me out. He gave me one of his super fancy cars to use until I can afford my own, and Billy helped me get started at the Reefside Community College, and in the meantime, I work for him at the University as his assistant. He also helped me set up my own account and the bank and even got me started with stocks and trades."

Andros nodded. "It's a good start. You guys should be more then prepared by the time your baby arrives."

Ethan grinned at Melanie and pecked her lips again, then looked up at Trent. "What about you, how's school treating you?"

Trent grinned. "It's better than I ever imagined. I've learned so much! And not only that, Carson Daily is offering me an apprenticeship at his studio when I finish art school."

"Good for you Trent!" Kira said with a grin. "I knew you could do it."

Trent grinned at her, "Thanks Kira. That means a lot coming from you."

"So, you have a girlfriend yet?" Conner asked. "I bet the ladies are lining up for a chance with you."

"Conner, must you always make things awkward?" Kira said with a scowl.

"No, it's okay...really." Trent was quick to respond. "I do as a matter of fact."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "Well, don't leave us hanging!"

Trent grinned. "Her name is Sophie and she's in my classes with me. In her spare time she cosplays as Ami Mizuno from Sailor Moon, or rather Sailor Mercury. Sometimes that involves dressing up with her crew and going to visit the children's ward as the Sailor Scouts, or Sailor Senshi as she calls them. And sometimes, I join them...as Tuxedo Mask…I mean, Tuxedo Kamen." He grinned. "She would kill me if she heard me using the American terms."

Conner raised his eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Don't judge me," Trent said with a smirk. "They couldn't find any other guys that would do that...they all want to do Dragon Ball Z and Bleach. It's kind of how we became a couple. There was a special request. A cancer patient was having a birthday, and she's a big Sailor Moon fan, she's got all the manga and the DVD collection. She specifically asked for Tuxedo Kamen, and they were in a bind, so I stepped into the three piece suit and mask. And I made that little girl's day, especially when I handed her a rose, which Sophie said was his thing. Her mom took a picture and everything, and even tried to offer us money, but I refused her. Seeing that little girl's face lit up like that made it all worth it. After that, we started going out and we're coming up on our 1 year anniversary."

"Aww! That's so sweet!" Kira said with a grin.

Trent nodded, blushing. They were quiet for a moment before Trent looked up. "That kind of brings up something else. I know we came here to help you...but I need a favor."

Conner nodded. "Name it."

"We got a special request. There's this kid, Joey in the children's ward. He was in an accident. Some guy wasn't watching his speed and was going 60 in a school zone. Joey was riding his bike and the guy slammed into him. He survived but his legs were crushed by the tires. The doctors had to amputate them both."

"Ouch," Conner hissed. "What happened to the driver?"

"He was convicted for attempted vehicular manslaughter." At Kira' nod he continued. "His birthday is coming up, and he's been so depressed since then. He's loves talking about the Power Rangers and he's got a scrap book containing news articles and clippings of our battles. Sophie visited him and asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he asked to meet you. Sophie was going to put in an order for a replica suit and make me wear it, but it would be awkward for me and I have a strong feeling that this kid will see right through the act."

Connor raised an eyebrow at him. "I heard Dr. O got into trouble for stealing the other ranger's colors and I'm sure not gonna let you do the same to me. Set it up, and I'll be there. I'm assuming you have the suit she ordered?"

This time it was Andros the answered. "Not necessary. Your suit and helmet are in the ranger room in the storage closet."

"But I thought the suits and everything were destroyed." Ethan asked.

Andros shook his head. "Only your Dino Gems and zords were rendered useless. Your suits, weapons and communicators are still intact. You should also bring the Shield of Triumph with you when you go. That'll make the birthday boy's day. I guarantee it."

"We're going to throw a small party in the kid's courtyard with cake and ice cream, courtesy of my father," added Trent. "No kid should have to spend his birthday in the hospital."

Conner nodded. "Good, now to answer your question earlier, about what we're going to do. Dr O and the rest of the originals are busy with the kids upstairs. We're free of that kind of responsibility, so I think it's up to us to do what we can to protect the people. Mr. Pissy Pants and whoever he works for is probably planning some kind of revenge. We humiliated him tonight and set back any plans he had for making us leave."

Andros nodded. "I'll back up whatever you come up with and I'm sure the other rangers will help, however they can. I can coordinate."

Conner nodded as he got up and sat on the edge of the jaccuzzi. "Here's what we know: Rickshaw is somehow connected to the TSA," he paused to clarify for Trent. "They're a racist group similar in a lot of ways to the Klan. They are the ones who attacked Kyle in the locker room and carved those horrible symbols in his arm...not to mention the guy you guys took out tonight was the one who raped Nina, the girl we're protecting. He knows we don't scare easily. So instead of going after us a second time, he's going to try and go after those we care about. If they're not white, they're in danger. I think we need to keep watch over Ethan's parents, our wedding planner. And even my Dad, though they have no idea what my true heritage is. They're assuming I'm all white." Saying this, he turned to Andros. "I think we need to post whomever we can get that still has some kind of power and ask them to keep watch until we figure out a way to beat these guys."

Ethan had been quiet before then. But now he looked at Melanie with worry in his eyes. "Your parents will be in danger too. As soon as I can, we need to go to your parents' house and warn them. I won't let these prejudiced bastards get to them. This could be the KKK all over again. I wouldn't put it passed them to go back to the traditional fear tactics."

Melanie's eyes widened and automatically her hands went to her belly. "You mean like burning crosses and drive by shootings?"

Ethan pulled her close. "Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. I don't know how far they'll go, or if they'll attack your parents at all. I think it's best if you stayed here. I can't let anything happen to you."

Melanie looked like she wanted to argue, but then she looked down at her bump. "I want to go with you, but I understand."

Trent piped up then. "I'll go with him; the least we can do is warn them and keep watch."

"Guys, if you need anything, go to my house, The Parks and DeSantos are staying there, you'll be safe until we can send help."

Andros nodded. "When you're ready, Rowan and I can take you to Reefside on our hover boards, they're much faster than your cars.

Kira paused giving the young man another look. "You never introduced yourself." For the first time, she really looked at the young man. He had the build of a football player with a short hair cut, though the tell tale streaks of those from KO-35 were visible. And lastly he wore matching arm cuffs that were stamped with some kind of family crest.

The young man glanced at Andros who grinned, and looked at his feet again.

"This is Rowan, he's my man-servent for the year. It's kind of complex, but he and my oldest daughter are in courtship. The last stage of it really. In exchange for my blessing, and my daughter's hand, he completely sacrificed his freedom to me, publicly and for the next 12 months. He defers to me for everything. He's not allowed to speak unless I give him the ok, and he must follow every order I give him or lose my blessing."

"That's kind of extreme isn't it?" Conner asked.

"It is," Andros agreed. "But it also shows me the commitment he has towards my daughter. Traditionally, the male, and female begin the last stage by switching families for the year so that the two houses can see what kind of people they are bringing into their families. It's discussed at a formal dinner, thrown by the father of the son that wants to court. Usually that's where it ends and the year begins. But this young man, went further than that, and offered me his freedom and submitted to me completely. I approved it and publicly declared him my servant. There's a lot more to it than that, but we need to get things going before anything more tragic happens." Andros paused and then looked at Rowan, "You have permission to speak."

"Thank you, sir." The young man said as he got out of the tub. I'll go ready the boards."

Andros turned back to them. "Ethan, Trent, go get ready to go."

* * *

><p><strong>Back up at the Manor<strong>

**The Grownup's floor**

Dana sighed and looked up at Jason, Zack, and Carter. The three men had helped carry Fred up the stairs, and while she busied herself with raiding the medical closet (which had been her contribution to the manor), the men had carefully stripped Fred of his burned clothing and, as carefully as possible, redressed him in a pair of boxers provided by Trini.

It had become a habit with her to stock clothes in her and Jason's room as he was always forgetting some item or another. She'd joked before with Kimberly that their two wonderfully masculine husbands had spent so much time together that they'd begun to rub off on each other, bad habits included.

Tommy thought it was hilarious, but Jason denied it...most vehemently.

They all looked up at Dana as she sighed. "He'll be okay. It looks worse than it is." She'd already put burn cream on the affected areas, mainly his arms and neck area...whatever hadn't been covered with his uniform, or shoes was now wrapped with gauze and bandages. Dana carefully placed the mask over his face and flipped on the oxygen tank.

"Well, that's all I can do for him, unless our friends at the FBI suddenly provide us some steroids to speed the healing along. In the meantime, I know his wife has got to be going crazy by now."

At her words the three men cast another look at the sleeping young man and then softly filed out. Only Dana remained as Fred's wife walked in. She held her baby tightly in her arms as she sat at her lover's bedside. She looked worriedly at her husband, and then at Dana.

"You're a ranger too?"

Dana looked at her evenly. "Yes, but I had medical training way before I took on the ranger mantel."

The young wife nodded. "How safe are we here?"

The former ranger looked at the young mother again. "There's no safer place on earth that I know of. This house is soon to be flooded with every ranger team on earth and if needed, we can make a call to Mirinoi. I know Eric has some plan going on as well. I don't know him as well as I should, but he's not the leader of the Silver Guardians for nothing. I also know that Carter hasn't been this on edge since the red rangers made that mission to the moon to stop Serpenterra. When this place was first purchased, each ranger made a contribution to this place. Billy and his protégé Justin installed a top of the line security system that could rival anything created for Star Trek as their part. I don't know if it will make you feel safer, but under this roof right now are two very smart men armed with technology that's just barely made its way to the government, and access to more if necessary. This whole house is wired with video, audio and motion sensor security that even a fly can't get past without detection. I know you've got to be wondering how it's possible that some Nazi punk got the best of us, what with all this alien technology. But I can promise you that these boys learn from their mistakes and then never make those mistakes again. By morning, they'll know exactly what happened and how to keep it from happening again."

The lady nodded again. "There's someone out there that needs to be protected."

Dana nodded. "Tell me who it is."

* * *

><p><strong>Kayla's Room<strong>

**Kid's floor of the manor**

Tommy sat on his daughter's bed. It was a very sturdy twin size bed that he knew would hold his weight, so he didn't worry about accidentally bending the frame. Kayla was held tightly against his chest and he rubbed her back, his thoughts warring with each other. On one hand, he felt pride at knowing his daughter's animal spirit was a green dragon. It wasn't exactly his zord, but he was proud just the same. On the other hand, he worried about the way this whole thing would affect her. She had just turned 6 a few months before and when he felt her collapse against his back, fear shot through him with a cold icy blade.

Dana had given her a brief once over and said that her vitals were strong, and that most likely, she would sleep through the night. Deep down he knew that she would be okay,; he could remember what it was like when he'd used up his Dino Power. He'd felt drained and he'd slept for almost a day once Billy had come to give everything a once over and to safely stow away what was left of their arsenal. Kim had patiently waited for him to wake up, and had a full blown feast ready for him when he did.

That was how he knew that his daughter would sleep for a while, and so when he'd brought her to the kids' room, he pulled out a few of her old overnight pull ups. She was potty trained and proud of it, but he just wanted to make sure she didn't wet the bed if she slept too heavily to know she needed the bathroom.

Now here he sat, with his pretty ninja curled up in his lap, her warm breath gently blowing on his bicep. He had stripped down to his undershirt for the sake of comfort and pondered what it all could mean.

He could laugh at the thought that Kayla had inherited his green flashing eyes. It would keep the boys away, but then he wondered what it would mean if she were to inherit everything else, including his and Kim's Ninjetti powers. Any other villains that came along might make her a target, being the powerful daughter of two original power rangers. What if another witch came to Earth and tried to turn his little ninja evil? He held her closer at that thought and silently vowed to find a way to prevent that. Even if he had to offer himself up again, he would. Tommy paused feeling his daughter fidget in her sleep. He lightened up his hold on her and she sighed softly and her barely audible snores resumed again. He smiled softly and kissed her hair. No, even if he had to die for her, she would never ever be touched by the hand of evil. Never.

"Handsome, you're shaking...are you okay?" Kim asked as she waddled...walked into the room. In her hand, he noted was a pair of sleep pants, the same one he wore the night before.

"How can I be, Kim? My daughter just manifested her dragon spirit...it attacked Mr. Rickshaw...what if she's a target now? What if it comes out again the next time she has a tantrum, or gets scared?"

Kimberly smiled at him and held out the sleep pants. "Go on and get more comfortable. I remember how chafed you got the last time you fell asleep wearing those. I'm pretty sure neither of us is going back to the nest tonight."

Tommy nodded and the moment Kimberly had Kayla cuddled as close as possible with her growing tummy in the way, he slipped out of the room into the small bathroom on the boy's side of the kids floor. In no time at all he was out of his jeans and into his cotton pants. He quickly tied up the draw string and then picked up his pants and headed back to the bedroom...however at the last second he turned his head to a small corner of the kids loft that equipped with a mini fridge. It was stocked with juice boxes, PediaLight, and some water bottles, along with a package or two of jello snacks. Of course it was up on a counter away from the kids, in the case of one of them being sick and needed to take medicine that needed to be kept cold. There was also a hidden panel and a digital key pad where a sequence of numbers which had to be pressed to gain entry. It was a brilliant idea on Trini's part to add it, and with the new additions to the household it was now stocked with a couple of baby bottles full of formula ready to be heated up by the small portable bottle warmer.

His baby girl should probably down a juice box or two...electrolytes would need to be replaced, and she would have to be given a very balanced breakfast the next morning. And every morning till they figured out what affect the sudden appearance of her powers had on her system. He pulled out a juice box and closed the mini fridge, once again re-engaging the digital lock. With that task finally finished, he walked back to his little ninja's room.

Kim sat against the wall, just the way he'd left her, except that their sleeping angel was laying against her mom's leg. Tommy quietly got back on the bed and resumed his position with their daughter in his lap. He handed her the juice box and settled back against the wall.

"We need to go to Phaedos again, and find Dulcea...I need answers. I want to know what in the blue hell happened tonight," came his wife's quiet statement. "If we could just find Alpha, I bet he'd know where it was."

"But no one's seen Alpha since he and Zordon left for Eltar," Tommy pointed out.

"Maybe Andros would know."

"We can ask him in the morning. For now, let's get some sleep. Hell's broken loose and I have a feeling we're in for a very intense ride."

"I heard my name, Rangers," came a female voice they'd not heard in years. They both looked up to see Dulcea's ethereal form standing in the room. She looked the same as before, like she hadn't aged a day, but her eyes seemed tired.

"Ivan ooze isn't back is he?" asked Tommy by way of greeting.

"No, he's space dust, blown up by a comment almost fifteen years ago, by you if I recall correctly." She smiled at them. "I can't sustain this trance for very long, but I could sense some turmoil in you. What has happened?"

Kimberly told her everything, especially about the spirits that apparently inhabited her daughter and Billy's son. "I'm scared Dulcea, Why has my daughter suddenly inherited Ninjetti powers?'

"The Ninjetti animal spirits came from within you," Dulcea calmly replied. "The power has been there all along. In the ancient times, before Ooze destroyed the temple, it was rather common to see the child of two Ninjetti inherit the power. I'm assuming the spirits acted the way they did in the face of such danger to yourself and your family. If both animal spirits were out, then it would make sense that Kayla's would manifest as well."

Kimberly nodded. "Do you think Kayla will be okay?"

Dulcea looked closely at Kayla. "Her life force is very strong, she's just exhausted. Let her sleep for as long as she wants then feed her well. When you feel the time is right, she'll need to be trained. If you can find a way, come to Phaedos and we can talk about it more, if you wish. But for now, I must return to the temple. Live well, rangers."

"Thank you Dulcea. I'm sure we can find a way there." Tommy said, making a mental note to ask Andros in the morning.

When they were alone again, they heard a small voice. "Who was that lady in the swim suit, Mommy?"

Kimberly smiled at her daughter, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "A very dear friend. She helped us when we needed it most."

"She looked like a ghost."

"So did your dragon earlier. That makes it no less real."

"How did I do that Mommy? Am I a power ranger like you?"

Tommy chuckled. "Not yet Little Ninja, though I know you'd make me proud if you were...but for now I brought some juice for you, I want you to drink it all, okay?"

Kayla looked up at him trustingly and drank the juice, her eyes never leaving her parents as she emptied the little juice box.

"Good girl, Little Ninja," Tommy said brushing her hair back from her face. "You should get some more sleep now, Kayla, we won't leave the room tonight."

The little girl only yawned and closed her eyes again. In moments she was asleep again. Both parents breathed a sigh of relief and Kimberly leaned against her husband's shoulder and he pulled a blanket up over them. They were asleep within minutes.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you all think? Leave me your thoughts!<strong>


	30. Darkness Falls

**And I'm back in business! **

**I want to thank you all for being so patient. It was hard on me too and I was having a really brutal withdrawl! LOL! **

**So, to reward you all, Mertmidnightangel got this chapter back to me very quickly! She's awesome! **

**Let's see...this chapter is very intense and the first part comes with a tissue warning. Even I was crying as I wrote it!**

**So, I won't keep you guys anymore.**

**Read on!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Next Morning<strong>

It was a sad assembly that walked out to the back garden near the small waterfall. Billy carried his son on his hip, and Kat held his hand. Behind them, Tommy and Kimberly, both holding Kayla's hand, followed them. This morning would not be easy for either of them. Though their sweet pit bulls were loved by everyone, the two children had loved them the most. Behind them, Conner followed holding Kira's hand and behind them, once again making an appearance, was Logan holding Kailen's hand and just behind them, came Iris. During the week they'd been gone, the two had formed quite the team. Because of the specialist, his son was flourishing and he was so very grateful for it. Already Kailen was becoming his own person and now that his diet had been explained to him, among other things, his son was happier and more content than ever before. The rest of the rangers and their children finished the procession, followed by Melanie and Nina. They didn't know the pit bulls as well as the others and felt like intruders in the solemn moment, but were still determined to show their support.

They formed a half circle around the twin gravesites. Tommy kissed his wife's head and walked over to the spot near the burial mounds. The night before, as he looked after his daughter, Conner and the others had buried the dogs and formed rough crosses from sticks found on the grounds, hanging the dogs' collars over them. He knew that more permanent grave markers would be ordered later on...the canines that gave their lives to protect them deserved more than just a couple of twigs.

Fabian stood next to Kayla now and picked up his cousin's hand, as their parents stood together behind them. She gave him a teary eyed smile. She tugged him closer and hugged him tightly, and then they both walked towards the dirt mounds and knelt next to them.

"We'll miss you, Psyche and Mischief. Mommy said that because you were heroes you guys got to cross the rainbow bridge to doggy heaven. That means there will be lots of toys and ropes for you guys to play with." Kayla whispered patting the ground. "But in case you run out, here's one more." And then she took out one well chewed tennis ball and placed it on the ground under the cross. "I'm gonna miss you guys. Have fun in Doggy Heaven...I love you guys. You were the best guard dogs ever."

Tommy looked at Kimberly and saw she was crying. He kissed her head. He'd been all set to give a small eulogy...but it seemed his little girl was doing it for him.

As if it had been pre-arranged, Fabian took out Mischief's favorite rope toy. He got down on his knees, and put it next to the ball. "Thanks for playing with us. I'm gonna miss you guys and I hope I get to see you again one day. Bye Mischief and Psyche." Then he got up again took his cousin's hand and together they walked back to their parents.

Billy looked over at Kat, who was in tears, though she tried to hide it. He ruffled his son's hair. A better farewell couldn't be written. He knelt down and kissed his son's forehead then he let go of his wife's hand and walked over to the space between the crosses. He was quiet for a moment giving the two beloved dogs a silent farewell, and then he looked up at his fellow rangers. As the wolf Ninjetti, he felt closest to the dogs. He took a deep breath and looked at the sorrowful group before him.

"For those of you who weren't here, when we first got Psyche and Mischief, I want to tell you the story of how we came to befriend the two friendliest pit bulls ever. I can't handle much more grieving; instead I want to remember them. Just around the time the house refurbishing had been completed, and the security wiring was installed, the rest of my fellow Ninjetti and I felt that we could do even better by adding a couple of guard dogs for that extra layer of protection. So, Kat and I began our search. We tried many places and though every dog we saw was cute and sweet, none of them seemed to form a connection with me...us.

We combed the news paper and even the breeder web sites, but they were either too expensive, or too aggressive. Finally, after yet another fruitless search, we were coming back from the shelter, and had decided to stop by the juice bar for a snack. That day it was raining hard and mud got everywhere. We had just gotten out of the car and we heard some whimpering and whining, so we followed the sound and we came upon an old soggy cardboard box. Inside, wrapped in two muddy blankets, were pit bull puppies. When I picked up Mischief he sneezed and then licked my face. He was such a mess and clearly starving and shivering. Next to him was Psyche. She was smaller than he was but from the moment our eyes connected we knew they were meant to be with us. We took them home and gave them warm baths and food to eat.

It didn't take long to love them both. Mischief got his name because he loved to play and sneak up on me when I wasn't expecting it and pounce on my leg. Psyche got her name from the character in greek mythology who was astonishingly beautiful and everyone instantly loved her. . During her puppy phase, she would jump up on Kat's lap while she read and would always greet her with a lick to the cheek. When a dog is that sweet, you just can't help but love her back. All these years later, we know now that they were sent here to protect us. Though I'll miss them both, I'm thankful for the time we got and for the privilege of taking care of them. Though the time will come when new guard dogs will take their place, I'll never forget these two who saved our lives. I've heard the phrase that Dogs leave paw prints on your heart...and it's so damn true." Billy wiped his eyes and then walked back to his wife. After a few more anecdotes and stories regarding the beloved guard dogs, they all said final goodbyes and made their way back in the house.

After breakfast was finished, Kimberly and Kat were cleaning up after breakfast, when their two children were approached them.

"Mommy?" Kayla asked softly.

Kimberly smiled down at her daughter. "Yes?"

"We wanna plant flowers around their graves, like in the movies. Can you take us to the flower store?"

Kimberly looked at Kat and then at the children. "Do you really wanna do that? It's a lot of work to plant a garden."

"Yeah, Aunt Kimberly," Fabian said. They were my friends!"

Kat thought for a moment, then nodded. "I don't see why not. Why don't you go find your dads." When both kids ran off, the two moms looked at each other. "I was going to suggest that myself, and if it helps them find closure, that's even better."

"We'll help them dig up the area but let them choose the flowers," said Kim. "There's a sale going on at the Greenhouse. I trust them more than the other stores."

Kat nodded. "Ok, I'll go get my purse."

Within minutes, they left for the flower nursery.

* * *

><p><strong>Melanie's Parent's house<strong>

They'd kept watch all night. The boards they hovered on were not what either ranger was expecting. The boards had at first looked like something from _Back To The Future_. But then Rowan had opened up the engine compartment and pressed the buttons in a certain sequence and before their eyes, the boards shifted themselves around, and they now looked like some sort of mix between a dragon and a bird...or maybe a phoenix.

"These are called Wind Riders, Mark 5, explained Andros. "Using the Eclipse mode, we can disappear from radars and there's enough power to hold us aloft for at least 24 hours. Climb on guys, and get comfortable!"

Ethan felt giddy with nerd glee when he climbed onto the back seat and immediately felt the gel like cushions mold to his backside. He'd never felt so comfortable in his life! In the next moment, he felt guilty because of it. This was a serious moment...no time to get excited over the technology. Not with his futue in laws in possible danger.

Trent was silently laughing at him as Andros climbed on in front and strapped himself in. Once Rowan mounted the Wind Rider and strapped in, they lifted off from the ground and headed out into the night.

Thankfully all had been quiet. They'd taken turns watching the house and once or twice one of them walked down to the all night McDonald's to relieve themselves and to get drinks or snacks. The sun was rising now and Andros was speaking to him.

"I think the best way to go would be to be completely honest with your future father in law. I spoke to Jason when we first arrived. He agrees that if the situation needs it, I can reveal to him your ranger status, but only if there is no other way. If I were in his situation and someone was after me, I'd want to know specifics...if you'd like, I can speak first...or you can take the lead."

Ethan squared his shoulders. "I'd rather do the talking. In just a few short months, I'm gonna be a father, so I need to start acting the part now...I'll be honest with him about everything but in case he doesn't believe me, you can convince him."

Andros nodded. "Okay then, let's do this."

They landed the wind riders and after another special combination, they morphed once more and now looked like motor cycles.

"That was so cool...I'd love to have one of my own! It's even better then my hovercycle!" Even with the situation, even he couldn't withhold his excitement...not over that!

Andros cracked a smile. "Focus Ethan…we're here for a reason, okay?"

Ethan took a deep breath. "Right, so sorry about that." Trent grinned at him but said nothing as he and Rowan followed Ethan up to the house.

Ethan knocked on the door and a few minutes later, Melanie's dad appeared with a steaming cup of coffe in his hands.

"Hey Ethan, what are you doing here? It's a little too early for company."

"I know, sir. But we need to talk...it's important."

"Is Melanie okay? Why didn't she come with you?"

"She's safe where she is...but you guys might not be."

The older man sensed the seriousness in Ethan's gaze and stepped back. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable."

When they'd all been seated, Ethan introduced the strangers. "This is Andros and Rowan of KO-35 and my friend Trent Fernandez. They came here to help me watch this house...we think the Klan might come after you."

Mr. Walker's eyebrow rose sharply. "As in the Ku Klux Klan? Why would they come after me?"

Ethan sighed closing his eyes. "Because I'm with Melanie. It's kind of hard to explain. Back in Angel Grove, there's a group called the TSA...True Son's Of America. They're a fringe white supremacy group...they've all but taken the city."

"Have you called the police?" The older man asked.

Andros looked at Ethan and then at the older man. "I can explain better. My friends own the manor where Ethan and Melanie have been staying. Back in the day they pooled their money and bought the old house and fixed it up. Now the head of the TSA is trying to force them out of the City. We can't call the police because the Klan or the TSA moved in and bought them out. The only good police officer left was almost killed last night...by members of his own unit. I know it sounds crazy, but right now, Former Officer Fred Kelman is laid up in the manor with few pretty bad burns and breathing off an oxygen machine. That happened after one of the big guys, Mr. Rickshaw, showed up with his cronies and tried to have us arrested. At the same time, one of his hired men killed the guard dogs and threw a smoke canister into the kitchen window. We were able to drive him off, and he's licking his wounds for now. But now we think he may come after anyone associated with us. You're not in Angel Grove, but both Ethan and Melanie were afraid he might come this far...he'll do anything to scare us off. And that could even mean putting a hit on you. We've been watching your house all night, and nothing happened, but we're not letting our guard down for even a second, until this situation is over."

Andros sat back, and waited as several emotions flitted across the older man's face. Then the proverbial light bulb turned on above his head. "You're a Power Ranger, aren't you. I recognize you from when Angel Grove was attacked. You were on television."

Andros raised his eyebrows. It was not the reaction he'd expected. "Yes, I was...and can take on the mantel again if I need to. For now, I work for the Kerovian consulate as an Ambassador."

Mr. Walker nodded and then looked at Ethan and Trent...and his eyes narrowed. "That would make you two Power Rangers also?"

Ethan nodded. "Yes, I was on the latest team as the blue ranger. And Trent was the white ranger...the good white ranger. The rest of our team is back in Angel Grove, protecting the Manor. It's why Melanie didn't come with us. I wanted her to stay somewhere safe, just in case you were attacked here."

"And your being a Power Ranger keeps her safe?"

Andros spoke up again. "Not just him...but all of us. Eric, the head of the silver guardians and another former ranger, is now putting out a call to the available rangers. Those that are available are on their way in, right now. She's the safest she's ever been. Our biggest concern is that any civilians that are associated with us in any way are in trouble. Racially speaking anyone who's not white is in danger. We have one more safe house in this city that you can stay at. We have enough ranger veterans that can protect you, either here or at the McKnight Mansion. And the attack can come at any time. We don't think they'll do it in broad daylight, not when there are witnesses around...but we can't guarantee that. The question is, what do you want to do? Either way, we're determined to keep you safe."

Mr. Walker man was quiet for a few moments. "I'm not gonna let those freaks run me off. I'm gonna stay and protect my house. My wife can go to the safe house if need be, but this is my house and I'll protect it. Though, I wouldn't mind an extra eye or two for look outs."

"If that's how you want to do it. We'll back you up."

"And what about you, young man?" He asked Rowan. "You're being awfully quiet. Are you a ranger too?"

Rowan looked to Andros who nodded. "No sir. I'm his servant...for the next year and by my own choice. To prove my worthiness to marry his daughter."

"This is a KO-35 tradition?"

Andros nodded. "To marry in to a Ranger Family is the highest honor. It's a thing of prestige...My daughter's hand demands a high price. I was prepared to drag him across the coals to make sure he wasn't just looking for fame or money." Andros explained to him the process. "Normally the process is a lot less forma, but for an Ambassador and a child born of two Power Rangers, it's a bigger deal."

"It's a good idea...wish I'd thought of that one." Ethan only groaned.

* * *

><p><strong>Back at the manor<strong>

Agent Holloway sat at the table as Nina retold her story in a shaking voice. Kimberly sat next to her holding her shaking hand while Tommy stood behind them. When she'd finished Kimberly pulled her close and led her out the door to get some fresh air. She'd even told them about her father's illegal actions and was barely holding it together. They were more than enough to condemn him.

The young man watched her go. He'd be up next, and he was glad she wasn't in the room to hear what he was about to tell the agents. It concerned Mr. Rickshaw. He'd forsaken his given name a while before, and now he just went by Revenant. Swallowing hard, he took a gulp of his coke and nearly choked as the agent turned to him.

"Mr. Westin, it seems you've got a rap sheet." The agent paused as he looked at the file. Being a federal agent, obtaining the records had been child's play. "Minor is Possession, in your case extacy. Driving under the influence, unlawful taking and vandalism." He glanced at Revenant and then continued when the boy offered up no defense. "Tsk Tsk Tsk, A 2002 BMW worth at least 12,000 dollars...settled out of court in exchange of your parents 2 story house in a prime location. Well, it's all here in black and white. But I want to hear your side of the story. "

The boy sighed. "I wanted to be cool and fit in with the guys at school. I've always done what my parents told me to and busted my butt to maintain my grades. I even got my parent's permission to go, but only after I finished my chores...I'd never been to a party before. Not like the one that night. What I thought was some kind of fancy candy was actually extacy. Somebody must have also spiked the punch too, cause even though I'd tried alcohol before, I hated the taste of it...it's too gross for me to drink. Whatever was in the punch, made me drunk. I don't remember much after that, until the medics were pulling me out of the car. I thought I was imagining all of it...but I wasn't. I cost my parent's their house. They'd had it all paid off and we all worked hard to make it all my mother dreamed it would be. Because of me, they had to give up the house to settle the suit, and now their living in a trailer park. I've embarrassed them...brought shame on them. I can't even look them in the eye. I went to a party and lost everything."

"Everything?" Jason asked. "You have a place to live and you could have died that night."

The FBI agent nodded in agreement. "The ER doctor reported that you have enough drugs and alcohol in your system to kill a grown man. You were damn lucky."

"I had a top spot in the dojo. I gave up burgers and fries for almost a year to get myself in peak shape. My sensei had really high standards and I worked so freaking hard to get there! I got two wins under my belt and the younger kids looked up to me. I wanted to be a Power Ranger some day! After I got out of juvie, I tried to rejoin my dojo...but they publicly shunned me and then sent a memo to all the other dojos in Stone Canyon and Angel Grove that I wasn't to be taken on as a student. I'll never be allowed to compete ever again...not that my parents could afford to pay for the lessons anyway! I was so close to getting my black belt...and now, it's all gone!"

Jason glanced at Tommy. "You know, I don't recall receiving any memos telling me that he was banned."

Revenant looked up at the adults in confusion.

Tommy shook his head. "That's because we aren't apart of any martial arts association. We're an independently owned and operated dojo. I've been out of the loop for a while, but I don't see how a first time offense could warrant a banning, not for a minor anyway."

Jason grinned. "I couldn't agree more. In fact, I think a full ride scholarship in our dojo would put him on the right path."

"You can do that?" Revenant blurted out.

Jason grinned. "Yep. I own the place. It's been a while since I took on a student. I'll let the agents and lawyers handle the legal stuff that I couldn't possibly hope to understand. But at least I can get you back on the mat. How about you eat a light lunch then we'll visit your parents so they can okay all this...and then you and I are gonna have the spar of your life. I want to see just how good you are.

* * *

><p>For the first time, Revenant had a grin that reached his eyes. "You're on!"<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Later that night...<strong>

Andros sat quietly on his board with Rowan next to him on his. Ethan and Trent were in the house with the slumbering parents. All was quiet in the neighborhood. This place really was putting out some friendly vibes. If he and Ash ever wanted to set down roots on earth again, this would be a perfect spot.

"Sir," Rowan said softly. "I hear some kind of vehicle coming…its really loud and it's coming fast…I thought there was a speed limit for places like this."

Andros sat up a little straighter. "There is….these neighborhoods are filled with families. Be on your guard….I think trouble's found us."

Rowan nodded and took out his night vision goggles and started scanning the area. He was quiet for a minute. "There it is…there coming from the other side….um…west side."

Andros snorted softly. "I don't need to remind you how important it is to Ethan that these people remain protected and safe. If those guys attack the house, I want you to go after them. Try not to kill them, but don't let them get away with it."

Rowan nodded. "Yes, sir." Then he shifted on his hoverboard and quietly disappeared from the roof.

Andros took out his own pair of night vision goggles and waited. Only a minute passed before a black car approached with its headlights off. A window rolled down and some sort of launcher was pointed out the back window and it fired. The projectile crashed through the front window and exploded into flames. Instantly the car took off though it didn't get very far as Rowan immediately followed it and in under a minute it was forced to a screeching halt.

At the same moment another vehicle, a van of some kind, arrived. Only this one had its head lights on. The moment it was off, three figures jumped out. Andros jumped into action and raced to head whomever it was off. All that action happened in less than 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Trent was in the bathroom, having felt the call of nature. Just as he finished washing his hands, He heard a crash and then smelled smoke. Then the fire alarms went off. He cursed and then looked around him. The bathroom had a cupboard where the towels were kept. Thinking quickly, he pulled two unused hand towels out and plunged them under the faucet, getting them both thoroughly wet. He wrung them out only a little bit to prevent dripping, and then put one over his head, and then felt the door. The fire hadn't reached that far yet, which was a good thing. So he opened the door and got on his knees, crawling down the hall towards the guest bedroom where he knew Ethan was staying. At the same moment, Ethan crawled out of the room and headed for the stairs.

"Ethan!" He heard his friend call for him. He turned his head and accepted the wet towel with a confused look. "This place is filling with smoke, it'll protect your lungs…now let's go get your in laws.

Just then, the front door was broken down and water was spraying everywhere. Ethan and Trent watched as a figure in a blue ninja uniform walked in followed by another who shone a flash light in the house.

"At ease boys. We're here to help." Said a female voice they hadn't heard in a while.

"Tori?" Trent asked.

"Yep! Blake and Hunter are here too. Go get the 'rents, I'll keep the fire contained in the living room."

Not another word was spoken as the boys raced up the stairs. The master bedroom was located right across from the bedroom that Ethan and Melanie shared. Ethan knocked loudly and when they didn't hear anything, opened the door.

Both parents were sound asleep. "Dammit." Ethan cursed and approached the bed. He shook Mr. Walker who awoke with a start. A moment later he heard the alarms.

"Don't panic, the fire is contained by a fellow ranger. Now come on, we're going to get you out of here." Seeing the serious look in the other's eyes, he nodded and shook his wife awake. Trent walked up with both their robes. Accepting them gratefully, the Walkers put them on and then looked to their rescuers for instructions. Trent went over to the window and opened it, where he waved at something. Not more than a moment later, both Andros and Rowan were there, both hover boards once again converted to rider mode.

Ethan sighed once both parents were clear, then he and Trent ran back down the stairs. Once Tori saw that everyone was okay she shot one more spray of water at the fire that was just starting to get out of control and then they raced out of the house, just as the fire engines started arriving, followed by the police department.

Satisfied that all had been handled, the rangers all sat back minus Ethan and Trent who were being checked out by the EMTs. The moment the Walkers were safe, Tori, Blake, and Hunter had taken off, stating that they'd see them at the safe house aka Conner's house. The moment the parents were cleared, they'd be taken to the safe house as well. Thankfully the fire had only really destroyed the living room. It wouldn't be livable for a while, and a cleaning service would be called in and some minor rebuilding would need to be done, but at least no one died.

Ethan's cell phone rang then. He pulled it out and saw who was calling. "Hey Doctor O."

"I heard from Andros, but I wanted to make sure that you guys were okay. Smart thinking with the wet towels, Trent. You just saved you and Ethan from lung damage."

"Thanks Dr. O." Trent said, grinning. "Everyone's safe now. Rowan and Andros managed to get the guys who did this. The police have taken them into custody."

"Good. That's awesome. The FBI will most likely pick them up soon. Once the EMT's clear them, take everyone to the safe house and stay there. Rocky and Adam know you are coming. No matter what, stay in Reefside.

"What's happened?" Ethan asked in a worried voice.

"Things have blown up here in Angel Grove. It's not safe for you here. Before you ask, yes, Melanie is safe. Every available Ranger is on the way…no one gets to her, okay?"

Ethan looked like he wanted to argue, but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay Dr. O. I trust you."

"I promise, I won't let you down. I'll call back when it's safe again, okay?"

"Sure….okay." Ethan hung up and dropped the phone to the grass.

Trent squeezed his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay."

Ethan shook his head. "No, it won't be. Not till Melanie's with me again."

* * *

><p>Tommy closed his cell phone and put it back in his pocket and gazed at the burning cross in front of it. Nailed to it with a noose around his neck was Mr. James. His body was smoldering along with the crucifix.<p>

He was so glad that his former student didn't question him. He knew there was no love between him and his now deceased father, but this would still be rough on the blue Dino Thunder ranger.

Jason walked up beside him. The quaint little cottage that had been the wedding planner's house and place of business was engulfed with flames. Things had indeed exploded. And Zack had been taken. "Hey, Conner just contacted me. He and Kira just picked up Callista and the kids 10 minutes ago. They're safe now."

"But Zack's not." Tommy said angrily. "I know they've got to be somewhere in those woods."

As if in answer, his wrist communicator went off. "Tommy here, what ya got."

I've found him." Carlos's voice came through. "We're about 2 miles or so into the woods, in the middle of a big clearing. I'm sending Cassie back to lead you here."

"How many are there."

"At least 30 Nazi assholes. There's someone of big importance here too. But he doesn't match the description you gave me."

Tommy nodded. "Sit tight, but don't let them know you're there. Don't intervene unless you have too."

"Bring Dana with you, Zack's alive but he's in a bad way."

Tommy nodded, though only Jason could see it. "Help is on the way."

When the communicator went silent, Jason spoke up, as several big trucks approached. "This ends tonight."

**Okay, everyone take a deep breath and let it go. I know there was alot going on here. This story is going down hill pretty fast and I promise the dark stuff won't last much longer. :) So, please leave me a review, and let me know your thoughts!**

**Catch you on the flip side!**


	31. The Rescue

**This chapter comes with a dark subject matter warning, though by now you should expect it from my stories, though I can promise that this is the last of it for this fic. This chapter involves offensive language and though I destest using any sort of racial slur in my fics, for the sake of authenticity, I had to bite the bullet and put it in the chapter.**

**Thanks to Mertmidnightangel for her editing prowess!**

**See you all at the bottom!**

* * *

><p><strong>Thwap!<strong>

Zack fought hard not to cry when the whip landed across his back. He clinched his fists against the leather bindings that held him in his current position against the thick tree.

**Thwap!**

He bit his lip as he felt warm blood trickling from his open cuts. The pain was becoming unbearable and as the torment continued, he wanted nothing more than to pass out. But yet something in him was keeping him tethered to consciousness. He breathed through the pain as the whip hit him again. He just had to hold out a bit longer, he knew that help was on the way. He'd sent off his beautiful fiancée with the car and Conner's number, she'd be safe. He'd sent her off not more than thirty minutes prior, with their sons in tow.

Their sons….Callista…his mind was now fervently clinging on to the memories of their small dinner. As the lashes continued to fall, he let those memories overtake him.

_Earlier that night:_

_He'd come to surprise his girlfriend with a full dinner courtesy of Applebee's. She'd been working late on of all things, Conner and Kira's wedding. She'd been at it all day and he'd arrived just as her mother had left to go home._

_The kids had been with him, and they were all pretty hungry. They'd fallen asleep on the couch in the foyer with full bellies and faces smeared with A1 sauce soon after, leaving just Zack and his lady alone to just relax with a bottle of wine he'd brought with him._

_He'd sat down his wine glass and used the napkin to wipe his face and hands. Then with a grin, he pulled out the small ring box, opened it and presented to her his token of affection._

_Her eyes had gotten huge as she took in the precious diamond ring. He'd not gone crazy on it, but it was with a single diamond set in the middle of more tiny diamonds that ringed the band itself, she'd told him how she hated some of the gaudy bands that she'd seen over the years, so he'd gotten her something that was simple and romantic. And it was perfect._

_She'd grinned widely when he'd proposed to her and her hand was shaking as he placed it on the third finger of her left hand. They'd lost themselves in kisses then, and when they'd finally come up for air, he'd…._

**Thwap!**

Zack winced as the harsh arrogant voice yelled in his ear. "Wake up Nigger! No one said you could go to sleep! Be a man and take your punishment!"

Zack gritted his teeth as he felt the hot fire spreading through his back. Taking a deep breath he turned his head to look at the leering older white man that had cold cruel eyes. "I thought you got the memo, old man. I'm a free man and I've done nothing wrong."

A mean sneer spread across the older man's face. "No, you colored folks have overstepped your boundaries for far too long. It's time you remembered who your masters are!"

Zack knew he shouldn't antagonize the man with the whip. But he couldn't help himself. "I'd tell you to go fuck yourself, but that's something I'd never want to see."

The man growled and forcefully shoved Zack's head against the tree trunk so hard that he was dizzy for a moment. Then the whip came down hard again.

Zack was getting really angry now and turned his head. "Go to Hell, you Pig-headed Bastard. You'd be doing all of us a favor."

Tommy groaned hearing that latest insult. They had all made it to the little clearing just a moment before. Jason shook his head and then turned to Shane, the Ninja Storm red ranger. "You're the fastest ranger here, get as close as you can get to the old man, and then take him out."

The younger ranger nodded and then with Cam and Dustin following him, they took off to the other side of the clearing.

Tommy turned to the rest of the rangers. "When the old one is taken out, we need to move fast. All the other hooded freaks will try and come to his aid. We need to incapacitate as many as we can."

"It'll be done," answered Cole. The others gave him a quiet assent.

"Then spread out around the clearing. Let's get this mess handled. The feds will be here soon to cart these freaks away." Without another word, they did as Tommy said and soon everyone was surrounded, though they didn't know it.

Zack groaned as the whip lashed him again. These latest hits came harder and faster, making his back feel like raw meat. Finally, the whipping stopped and Zack sank down to the ground, his hands raw from clenching the ropes.

The older man gave the command and the ropes were cut. Zack was then thrown roughly to the ground, his head meeting it with a dull thud. The man spat on him and then looked at the rest of the white hoods. He pulled back his hood then and addressed the circle. "See, it's not such a difficult task. Slaves were the back bone of the country not long ago. You're ancestors knew what they were doing, but then one lousy politician messed with perfection.

This pathetic waste of flesh is just an example of what can happen when you let the weaker man have power over you. He's forgotten his place, and needed to be reminded of it, under the boots of those who are better and stronger than him."

Seizing the opportunity, Shane moved faster than lightning, and in the next second, the place exploded with commotion as first the Grand Dragon and then the rest of his followers found themselves laying on the ground, groaning in pain. He then forced the Grand Dragon up on his knees as Tommy and Jason strode into the clearing and approached, restraining his arms. Jason grabbed the man by his hair and tugged hard, forcing him to look into the glowing green eyes of an angry legendary ranger.

"It's all over for you, old man," Tommy snarled. "This party just ended."

"And who the fuck are you, Red man?"

"Someone who you should never have pissed off. Your life is literally in my hands. With just one word to my friend back there, I could end you."

Jason was seething. "And I wouldn't hesitate to snap your neck. I've seen it done many times. Normally, I don't glory in such dark dealings, but for you, I'd make an exception. "

The man tried hard to get lose but Shane flexed his muscles and pulled harder on his arms. The man groaned in pain. "You and what army? I own the police in this town. What makes you think you could do anything against me?"

Jason chuckled. "You've messed with a force greater than you ever imagined." He tugged harder on the hair in his hand and with a grunt, he forced the man to look up and around the clearing. "You're messing with The Power Rangers, old man. We spent the best years of our lives defending this town. What delusion made you think we'd just let you take it?"

Tommy wrapped his fist around the man's throat. "We're a big family…you messed with one of us, and now you get to deal with all of us."

The man, gasped. "You…you look familiar. Didn't I tell you to get the hell out of Angel Grove? It's bad enough that you tried to knock my daughter up."

Tommy was confused for a moment. Then the light bulb went off in his head. "You're the guy who held a gun to my brother's head…Christina was your daughter. You're the Grand Dragon?"

"It was a business transaction: my daughter's hand in exchange for a high rank in the Klan. I had to work to get where I am, but it was all worth it."

Tommy stepped back for a moment and looked at him, his whole body filled with rage. He wanted to end this pathetic pig's life. Instead, he turned his back and took a deep breath, inwardly reigning in his emotions. All the while, every ranger watched him, though none of their gazes where judgmental. Finally, after several minutes, Tommy turned back to the older man. "You're not worth the taint it would put on my honor to kill a weaker man. You're not getting away with anything tonight. You will be held accountable for every bit of pain you've inflicted on this town and its citizens. You've lost everything tonight. There are more of us then there are of you." He then grinned maliciously. "You failed in your goal anyway. Conner and Eric are my brother's kids, and we got the DNA to prove it."

The Grand Dragon bared his teeth in fury and then groaned in pain again as Jason grinned and forced him to look into the sky. "See, we even got you covered from the air. The FBI are on their way to pick you up. Your enforcer is gone, and the hit you put on the Walkers fell through. There are more of us than there are of you."

"You must have missed the nigger we hung tonight."

Tommy fought hard to not hit the man for his continuous use of the racial slur. He took a deep breath. "Yeah, we saw it. But you picked the wrong man to go after. My student, the one you orphaned tonight, has no love for the man you killed. So really, he won't miss him, and neither will I. He was no better then you, not in our eyes."

On the other side of the clearing, Eric stepped to the side and a younger man, that appeared to be around 24 years old, walked forward. With a look of disgust he tore his white robe off and threw it to the side. He walked towards them. The young man smirked and pulled some kind of cord from under his shirt. Attached to it was a shield, with the insignia for the FBI on it.

"You…you're one of them?" The old man sputtered.

"Four years with the drama club at my old high school finally paid off. I'm a federal agent and I've been an undercover for a few months now. I've been collecting all kinds of information on you and this terrorist organization."

"You!" Exclaimed Rickshaw as he struggled against Billy's grip. "You betrayed me!"

The younger man rolled his eyes. "You never owned me. Keep up, Oh Putrid one. I was the only choice when my boss assigned me to the job. I fit the profile, I've got blue eyes, brown hair, and I looked like an all American white boy. "

The federal agent looked at Tommy. "I told him, my name was Matthew Whitley. But actually, my real name is Evan Swift-cub. I'm a distant cousin to Agent Halloway. My great grandfather was the son of wood carver; he married into the tribe." Evan turned to his former employer. "Never judge a book by its cover. I may look like a white boy, but you hired a 'red man' to work for you…and now, all your secrets are my secrets. I will cheerfully hand them over to my superiors as soon as they arrive."

"You won't have to wait long for that, little cousin," replied Agent Halloway as he strode into the clearing. Behind him was the largest S.W.A.T team that Tommy had ever seen. Agent Halloway walked up to his cousin and pulled him into a hug. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just want to finish up here and then get home and take a hot shower…I feel dirty just being in their presence."

Seth grinned. "Then let's do this." As if on cue, the rangers pulled their respective captives to their feet. The agent continued. "You are all under arrest for domestic terrorism and will now be taken into federal custody. We have sufficient evidence to put you all away in prison for many years. Still, we have an obligation to uphold the law. You all have the right to remain silent; anything you say will be held against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you." He nodded to the S.W.A.T team and on cue, they all walked towards the rangers and began the arduous task of taking them all away. Each one was bound in zip ties and within the next 20 minutes every one of them was loaded on to busses and carted away, heading for a high security prison. Once the last suspect was gone, the agents walked up to Tommy and Jason. "You have our thanks, Rangers." Seth said. "We'll let you get on with your lives, unless your friend wishes to press charges. We have more than sufficient evidence to put every one of them away for a very long time."

Tommy nodded. "We busted our butts for most of our high school years to protect this city. We can't let it fall into evil hands again."

"You won't have to worry about it, now." Evan answered. "You've just taken out a huge domestic terrorist cell. I have a feeling that things will be quiet for a while now. Any remaining white supremacists out here will lay low for a while now. We've got things handled here, so you're free to go on with your lives. We gave your friend Dana a nice size medical shipment too. She's got everything she needs to treat your patients. It should last her a good couple of months. If you guys need anything more, feel free to call me."

Tommy stepped forward then. "What about Ethan James?" Do you expect him to testify on the attack?"

"This has been a big night. What happened in this city will take a long time to process and I'll be swamped under a huge stack of reports for the next month. I can't say when I'll get around to writing up reports on Ethan or even the Walkers. I suggest for now, you go home and enjoy your families. As for Miss Rickshaw, I've already given her immunity and cleared the way for her to get emancipated, if she so chooses. I'd offer to help provide funding to restore that house back there and for the Walker's home, But I have a feeling you guys have more than enough money and resources to restore the damage. Still, if you should have any trouble with building permits and the like, give me a call. I see to it that you won't have to deal with any red-tape."

Tommy nodded. "There is one thing you can do for me."

"Name it."

"We still have to deal with Roger Ford. We plan to trap him very soon. When we do, I want him as far away from Angel Grove as possible."

Agent Swift nodded. "He's a low man on the totem pole. Nothing more than an errand boy…still he was part of the club. Let me know when you plan to take him down, and I'll personally take him off your hands."

"It's a deal."

With that business concluded, they all withdrew and headed back towards the smoldering ruins of the once beautiful wedding planner's cottage.

* * *

><p>While all this was going on, Zack was transported back to the Manor. Now, he lay on the bed stripped down to the waist and groaning in pain. Dana shook her head and let her medical training take over. She'd just given him a shot of morphine to ease his pain, and now she began to assess the damage.<p>

It was bad. She'd never seen these sorts of wounds before and for a moment she wasn't sure where to start. Taking a deep breath, she decided to go with the basics. The morphine should have taken effect by then, so she began to clean the wounds, every moment cursing the existence of the man who had put the welts there in the first place. An hour went by while she worked on him and when she finally came out, it was to see two worried little boys and a grave one on the wedding planner's face.

"Is my daddy okay, Aunt Dana?" Alex piped up with watery eyes.

Dana knelt down to his level. "He's really hurt, Alex, but I gave him some medicine that's gonna make him sleep for a few hours. I had to use a lot of bandages, but he'll be okay in a few weeks Why not get some sleep, and maybe in the morning you can talk to him, okay?"

Kira walked with Conner. "We can take them up to kid's floor. I'm sure you guys have a lot to talk about."

Callista nodded and kissed her sons. "I'll be up in a bit to check on you."

'Kay Mom." They both answered her.

Conner and Kira each took one of the boys and carried them up to the kid's floor.

When they were alone, Callista turned back to Dana. "Give it to me straight doc."

"They got him pretty good." Dana said. "He'll live, but he's gonna be in pain for a while. The cuts he got aren't infected, but I'm gonna keep him bandaged up for a while. I've given him a shot of morphine along with some IV fluids so he'll sleep through the night. If you'd like, you can stay with him. I can have a cot set up for you."

"I'd like that."

Dana nodded. "I can go get some PJ's for you so you can get more comfortable."

"I need to call my parents."

Dana handed over her cellphone. "I'll be right back."

* * *

><p>Tommy walked over to the 'bird's nest' and slumped into the bed. All the rangers who had shown up in the clearing were now making their way to the manor, or in the case of the Ninja Storm rangers, to the McKnight mansion. Everyone would now sleep better, since the major threat was now ended. They had only the pieces to pick up and lose ends to deal with.<p>

He lay back onto the bed and a moment later, Kimberly joined him. For the night, Nina was being taken care of by Ashley and Cassie from the Space team. Kimberly could sense that her husband's heart was heavy. He really needed her tonight. She took off her robe and then eased into the bed, and curled up to her husband. "Talk to me Handsome."

"The fight's over Kim. But Ethan was orphaned tonight. The Klan got to Mr. James. They burned on cross on Callista's front lawn. I'm sure you saw how bad Zack's wounds were."

"I gathered as much when I saw the state Callista was in."

"They whipped him…it was just like that Roots movie. I almost killed the man tonight. _And_ he was Christina's father."

"I'm glad you didn't. The porker wasn't worth it."

"Interesting choice of words, Kim."

"They were fitting for the situation, though I'm sure out there somewhere, Babe is feeling pretty insulted right now."

Tommy snorted. "I love you Kim. Have I told you that lately?"

"More than once, my strong handsome hero. I never tire of hearing it." Kimberly leaned over and kissed him. Then she lay on his chest. "It's been a pretty intense night, is there anything I can do to help you relax?"

Tommy grinned and reached up, playing with the spaghetti strap on her nightie. Kimberly looked down at him with hooded eyes. "Don't start the engine baby unless you can drive it home. You sure you're up to that tonight?"

Tommy grinned. "Do you remember how to drive a stick?"

Kimberly chuckled. This wasn't the first time he'd asked used that line on her. "Lay back Handsome. I'm going to take care of you tonight."

**So, there you have it. The worst of the conflict is over. Now they have only to trap Roger to bring this thing full circle. It won't be the next chapter, but soon. For now, leave me your reviews and I'll catch ya'll in the next chapter!**


	32. Getting Back On Their Feet

**Here's the next chapter! This is more of a transitional chapter with some cute fluffiness thrown in for good measure. This story is almost over. Only a few chapters left not counting the epilogue. **

**Special Thanks to Mertmidnightangel for her awesome beta skills!**

**Enjoy and see me at the bottom!**

It was dawn.

Tommy sat in the door way of the dojo. From where he sat he could see the sun rising. It wasn't quite 7 am but it wasn't dark either. He'd slept well after making love to his wife all night…but this morning, the concerns that weighed heavily on his heart were waiting for him the moment he opened his eyes.

Kim was still heavily asleep with a contented smile on her face. He knew how difficult it was for her to sleep comfortably during her last trimester of pregnancy. So when she was good and asleep as she was now, he'd carefully slipped out of bed and went through his morning routines as quietly as he could. Now, he sat in only his training pants and his white tank top. The ninjetti spirit had been awakened, and it showed as he once again favored his white clothing. Kimberly had been amused when she realized that all his clothes in their hamper had been white, yet she never complained…she only shook her head and made another trip to Walmart and started buying the white underclothes he'd once favored in bulk…and then she had switched the black wardrobe for the white ones again. He'd seen that and had fallen in love with her all over again. No normal wife would ever be so understanding or adaptable.

Tommy took a deep breath and exhaled, calmly centering himself with practiced ease. It was the first breathing exercise he'd ever learned. And the first one he'd ever taught his team.

His team.

Ethan.

Tommy took another deep breath as his mind flooded with the most urgent question of the day…he had to tell Ethan that his father, Mr. James was dead. He didn't know how the most recent blue ranger veteran would react, but the fact was Ethan was now an be staring the young man in his face. As the mentor of the Dino Thunder team, it was his responsibility to be the bearer of the bad news…or perhaps it was good news. Just then, he heard the pitter patter of bare little feet. He opened his eyes to see Kayla sitting in front of him, looking into his eyes. Tommy planted a smile on his face. "Hey little Ninja! What are ya doing up so early?"

Kayla sat cross legged in front of him. "I saw you from my room. You look awful tense Daddy." Saying this she held out a travel cup of his favorite smoothie.

He looked at it and then at her. "Where'd you get this from?"

"Uncle Jason gave it to me to give to you. He said to take all the time you need. He and Uncle Billy are coming with you."

Tommy gave a small huff and took a sip from the mug. Then he sat it down next to him and held out his arms to her. Kayla wasted no time crawling into his lap. He hugged her to him and kissed the top of her head. "I've got to go to Reefside to Conner's house and give Ethan some bad news."

Kayla pulled out her little juice box and took a long pull from it. Then she leaned against his chest. "What kind of bad news?"

Tommy grimaced. How could he explain such a monstrous act so that his daughter understood? "The same bad guys that hurt your Uncle Zack hurt Ethan's dad. I have to go tell Ethan that his dad was killed last night. It's bad."

Kayla was quiet for a moment as she took another pull from her juice box. "Did you beat the bad guys?" she asked softly after another sip.

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, we took as many ranger teams as we could and took them out. The big guys in suits that you saw took them out of Angel Grove. They won't be bothering us anymore."

"What about Mr. Ford?"

Tommy hugged his daughter close to him. "No, he wasn't there, but we have a plan to get him too. He'll soon be out of the picture too. Then Kira won't have to be scared of him anymore."

Kayla nodded. Then she tilted her head up to look at her Daddy. "You're my favorite Power Ranger Daddy!"

Tommy was stunned for a second. Then he looked down and met his daughter's gaze. "What made you say that?"

Kayla smiled at him. "Mommy told me the story of you saving her from Zedd. You beat the bad guy one on one and saved her. And then last night, you saved Uncle Zack. Mommy says that you can do anything! I know you can do this too."

Tommy chuckled and kissed her head again. "Thanks little Ninja. I really needed to hear that."

"I love you Daddy, can I go with you today?"

Tommy shook his head. "Not this time, little Kayla…you've got a mission today too. And it's something only you can help with."

"What's that daddy?"

"The bad guys burned Callista's home and office down. No one was able to save the laptop and computer files. Kira and Conner's wedding stuff was in there. They might need to see that wedding book again. And you're the holder of the book."

Kayla nodded. "Okay dad, I'll help save the wedding."

"That's my little Ninja!"

* * *

><p>Zack's eyes opened to find that he was lying on his stomach, bare from the waist up. A moment later a soft hand was caressing his shoulder. "Try not to move, Baby. You've got an IV in you."<p>

Zack turned his head in the direction of the voice and saw Callista sitting up on the cot across from him. A warm blanket was wrapped around her, and she had a worried look on her face. Suddenly he remembered what had happened the night before. "You made it," he said with a relieved sigh.

"I did. The moment I crossed over the city limits, Conner and Kira were pulling up right beside me and they escorted us here. Apparently there is more to him than meets the eye."

"He's one of us. We've never really understood it, but all red rangers seem to have a thing for fast cars and lots of speed."

"You know, I thought you guys had secret identities and you weren't supposed to reveal yourselves."

Zack nodded. "That was true while we wore the mantle. I intend to keep you forever. That's why I told you my biggest secret. I trust you and I meant what I said last night... all of it."

Callista got up and knelt down by the cot next to his head. "You sacrificed yourself for us last night. Your distraction gave us time to get away safely. Because of that, our sons are safe. I want to marry you, even if it means going before a judge."

Zack sighed. "I meant what I said last night. There's no rush. We have time to put together the wedding we want."

"I've been a wedding planner for a while right now. It's hard enough to put a wedding together for one person. I lost my house last night and that includes my laptop and all my files. I don't have a source of income anymore. There's no way I can afford any bridal stuff like that. Please, I just want something simple and private."

Zack wanted to argue further, but right then, Dana knocked on the door.

"Come on in," Zack called. "I'm awake."

Dana walked in. "May I turn on the light?" At their consent, she closed the door, flipped on the lights and sat on the chair next to the bed. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I can feel the welts, but that's about it." Zack paused as the call of nature made itself known. He added. "I'd really like to sit up and go to the bathroom though."

Dana nodded and carefully pulled at the arm with the IV in it. She was pleased that it had stayed put through the night. She glanced up at the bag of fluids she'd hung up on the metal stand. The bag was empty. I don't think you'll need any more fluids from the IV. Just let me take out the line and then we'll get you sitting up. When you get back, I'll change your bandages. You should also know that Conner and Kira are looking after your boys…Alex is pacing a path through the floor in the living room."

Zack nodded and once the line was out and the gauze and tape applied, Callista and Dana helped him out of bed. Then while the facilities were being used, Dana went to report to the anxious little boys, Alex looking up when she walked into the room.

Dana sat down on the love seat and Alex and Kai walked up to her. "Is he awake?"

Keeping her professional tone, she smiled. "Yes, they both are. He's using the bathroom, and then after I change the bandages, you can come in and see them, but you need to be careful of his back. He's still hurting a little. I'll give him some more medicine in a bit. It's gonna make him sleepy, okay?"

Alex nodded and sat down next to Kai. "Okay, I'll wait."

"Good boys. I'll come and get you when it's okay to come in."

Twenty minutes later, the two boys were allowed to come in the room. Zack was propped up on four fluffy pillows wearing a white tank top so the boys wouldn't be upset at seeing his bandages.

Alex was the first to enter. He hesitated next to the bed, wanting to climb into his daddy's lap. Zack noticed and smiled at him. "It's okay, Alex, I missed you too." Alex looked relieved and he climbed up and hugged his dad's neck. When his dad's arms wrapped around him, Alex finally let his tears come out. "I know I scared you last night, Buddy. But I'm okay now, I promise. Dana's a really good Doctor, okay"

Alex only held on to him tighter.

At seeing the private moment, Dana quietly backed out the door, suddenly wanting to see her husband again.

* * *

><p><strong>Reefside<strong>

**McKnight's Manor**

**A few hours later**

Ethan burst out the door with a grin as the black jeep and Red mustang pulled up into the drive way. Behind him, Mr. and Mrs. Walker came out and all three soon had Melanie surrounded. When the moment was over, they all followed Tommy, Conner, and Kira into the house.

When they were all settled into the living room, Ethan looked up from where he and Melanie's hands were entwined. "Please, no more secrets like this, Dr. O. What didn't you tell me last night?"

Tommy took a deep breath. "It was bad, Ethan…and we were right about the revenge bit. Your dad was taken last night….and he was hung from a burning cross when we found him."

"Like a crucifixion?"

"No, he was hung from a noose that was wrapped around the crux. He was already dead when we got there. Carter Grayson told me that there wasn't much they could do for him other than to go ahead and have his remains cremated after the official death certificate was done. I know there was no love between you two, but everything went down real fast after that. It would have been a mistake to tell you right then."

Ethan nodded and looked back down at his lap. Now his hands were starting to shake a little bit.

"You should also know that our contact in the FBI called me earlier this afternoon. Your father never got the chance to change his will after you guys had your falling out. So, you still get your inheritance. In a few days, his lawyer is going to contact you to set a day for the will to be read. You're the Next of Kin…so you can decide what to do with the money and his ashes."

"You could flush the ashes down the toilet for all I care. But the money on the other hand…I know just what do with them."

Dr. O raised his eyes at his former student.

Ethan looked up at Melanie's parents and then at Melanie. "I want to marry you…and not just because we're going to be parents. The dickhead told me to get rid of you, that there would always be another woman coming along…but he was wrong. There's no one else for me. I know it's unconventional, but when the money is mine, I want to take you out to get your engagement ring. Your choice, sky is the limit. Whatever is left, property, cars, and the house will be sold. I don't want anything from that man. The money will be put towards the wedding. "

Tommy nodded in understanding. It was a final F-You to his deceased parent, and quite fitting in his opinion. No father should treat their son the way Mr. James had.

Mr. Walker cleared his throat. "I believe, Ethan that the wedding is traditionally paid for by the parents of the bride. We set up a fund when Melanie was born, and when her grandmother died a few years ago, her share of the inheritance was put into the account as well. That plus the money we've been putting into it over the years will be more than enough to pay for the wedding. However, the Honeymoon is your responsibility."

Ethan and Melanie smiled at each other, Mr. James completely forgotten for the moment.

Tommy sighed in relief and sat back. _A that worrying for nothing..._

* * *

><p>A little later, while the women were working in the kitchen, Rocky and Adam asked Tommy to walk with them in the back yard. Over the past couple of days, they'd all devoted their daytime hours to working in the yard. Tanya, Aisha, and Autumn had worked on the inside. The house itself was mostly well taken care of, though there had been a lot of dusting, but the house had been aired out and only some minor housekeeping had been needed. At the moment, Kyle and Autumn were both curled up on the porch swing. There was nothing inappropriate about it but it still looked really cozy.<p>

Tommy looked back at Adam and Rocky. "How are they?"

Rocky grimaced. "I'm no psychologist, but I'm thinking he's showing signs of PTSD. When we were giving this place a once over, an old picture fell off the wall. Kyle jumped and then planted his fist inside the wall. He'll deny it, but if I were a betting man, that's where my money would be. When our business is finished here, and Roger is caught, I'm going to take Kyle to a psychologist if I have to hog tie him and duct tape him to the seat." Rocky paused and looked back at his son. "He's trying to be tough…but I know he's not sleeping well. Autumn spends every minute with him. It was just young love before….but this whole incident has drawn them closer together. They're inseparable now. They take a lot of cat naps throughout the day, too. The father in me wants to separate them….but if it helps Kyle sleep better, then I'm willing to allow it…as long as they sleep like that where we can both see them."

Tommy nodded. "And how are you guys?" Rocky and Adam looked at their feet. "You guys do know that there's no hard feelings right? We had more than enough rangers to take down the Klan right?"

"We should have been there, Tommy." Rocky blurted out. "We should have had your back."

Tommy shook his head and then looked at Adam. "Has this been plaguing you too?"

Adam nodded and then looked up at their best friend. "I hate the thought that we stayed here in safety while you were putting your life on the line."

Tommy snorted. "Hardly. It wasn't even a battle. It was a takedown and nothing more. They were so busy torturing Zack and giving their-"

"They were torturing Zack?" Adam burst out. He and Rock exchanged looks.

"Look it's not important. He's just fine and is at the Manor, being looked after by Dana. The point is that you guys had your part to play. I needed a couple of trust worthy rangers to look after the civilians. And there's no one else I would trust more with something so important."

Rocky gave him a skeptical look. "That's a nice sentiment and all…but that's bullshit. I missed out on the red ranger mission to the moon. And now I missed out on the taking down of the Klan. My honor is on the line here."

"I think you both know that the greatest honor is to be a father. What if the Klan had sent some of their followers to attack this place? The Walker's almost lost their house last night. What if they had been here alone along with your wives and kids? I know that they can more than handle themselves, but what if they had been overwhelmed? Kyle has already been hurt, what if they were killed too? What if you had come here afterwards to see your wife and kids and the others bleeding out on the floor, all dead because you weren't here to keep them safe? The dishonor would have been unbearable for the both of you."

Adam and Rocky were quiet after the speech.

Tommy took a deep breath. "Now, if this self-hate fest is over, we have a trap to set up for and a bachelor party to plan for our newest ranger-groom to be. He needs to be given the Special Treatment."

At this, both former rangers looked up at him and grinned.

"Well, then. Let's get the show on the road." Rocky replied. "Come on, we'll show you what we've been up to."

* * *

><p>Danny was quietly admiring the flowers in the garden when Eric found him. This was his first time at the manor as he'd come in with the others for the take down the night before and he'd slept in this morning as late as he could. He'd not felt the need to go out to the dojo with the other guys to spar. No, he just needed the quiet the garden could give him.<p>

He looked up from the little pond as Eric approached. "Hey."

"Hey," Eric replied. "I had a feeling I would find you here."

"Flowers are my life. I'm never more comfortable than when I'm around them."

"I'm glad you said that."

"Is this about the wedding? I thought you had a florist already?"

"We all have a part to play. Come with me."

Danny hesitated for a moment. Then he nodded. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

><p>Conner and Kira sat at the dining room table. Across from them sat Callista with Lydia and Kayla. Lydia had arrived just about an hour prior to this impromptu meeting. She'd been worried and scared and just a little upset. But now, seeing her adopted daughter and grandson were okay, she had calmed down. Now she sipped her iced tea and poured over the wedding book that Kayla had brought to them. It had amused the older woman that Kayla had been waiting with the giant book at the table when the others had sat down. She seemed to be a little girl on a mission and now she assisted them, doing anything and everything they asked her to do. But just like at the little cottage, she was proving to be a big help. She kept the post it notes ready and was prepared to show them anything in the wedding book they needed to see.<p>

Conner grinned at her and then at his fiancée, stealing a kiss before putting all his attention back on the wedding planner. The fake wedding was only a week away, and now, after speaking to Zack (just before the morphine took effect), he was looking forward to both weddings even more. The wedding planner didn't know it, but that day was one she'd never forget!

Kira squeezed his hand as Callista spoke up again. "I didn't think we'd find anyone willing to officiate on such short notice, but we've had a windfall. A friend of yours showed up at my doorstep earlier. He's ordained as a chaplain, but he's doing this for us pro bono and he came highly recommended by your friend Eric Myers. It looks like things are finally coming together!"

Conner nodded in agreement. _They certainly were!_

* * *

><p><strong>So, everything is almost back to normal. There is only one more loose end to tie up before the wedding! <strong>

**For those of you who like Jungle Fury romance, I've posted a lemon for RJ and Lily on the adult fanfiction site. Check my FB page for the link. **

**For those of you who haven't visited the FB page yet, the link is on my profile.**

**See you all next chapter!**


	33. Turn The Page Pt 1

**So, we're nearly to the Long awaited and much anticipated wedding. Just one more loose end to tie up. *Grin* I won't keep you long...believe me, I really want to get that Butt-Licker out of the way. **

**But first, a few formalities:**

**(1) As you can guess, with all the emotion going on...Kira and Conner climbing the walls to climb each other...so yeah. We've got some heavy citrus ahead. :D **

**(2) Brief profanity warning.**

**(3) Major Kudos to Mertmidnightangel for yet another wonderful chapter all ready for your reading pleasure. *smirk***

**(4) *hands out virtual cigarettes.* You're going to need them once this chapter is over. This is only part 1 and the other one is in the works. **

***rubs hands together* Read on and see me at the bottom!**

* * *

><p>It was barely dawn when Kira woke up. She'd been sleeping restlessly all night, though with Conner's arms around her, she did sleep. Even now she could feel his soft breaths on her ear and she could feel that one of his muscular legs was thrown over her own. She was literally wrapped in the cocoon of his love.<p>

They had spent much of the last week pouring over the details of this elaborate trap he'd masterminded and now they were to play a special part in making another's dream a reality. Everything was set for the festivities once the poser was caught. Kira inhaled softly in the dark and instinctively Conner drew her closer to him. "Kira…" He moaned softly against her skin. The Ptera Ranger smiled and gently rubbed his arm and he relaxed just a little bit. Her handsome fiancé had gone to hell and back to save her from herself. He'd been a rock for her, as corny as the saying was. Whenever she wavered, he stood strong firm and steady.

Like a Red Ranger.

She'd seen similar behavior in the other red rangers and now she understood the dynamic and why the yellow rangers worked so well alongside them. And now it was time for her, the Yellow ranger to be strong.

Kira inhaled again and then exhaled. She was still restless, and she wouldn't be sleeping anymore today. But her handsome husband to be, was still sleeping like a log. She didn't want to disturb him anymore then she had.

So she lovingly lifted his arm that was draped over her and he stirred again.

"Kira." He murmured.

"It's okay Jock, I just need to use the bathroom."

He breathed softly against her and rolled over on to his back. She got up and stretched and then turned back to the bed and gazed at his sleeping form. She blew him a kiss, though she knew he wasn't awake to see it, and then grabbed her swimsuit and a change of clothes. She then slipped out the door and closed it soundlessly. She was a bundle of nerves and felt the need to unwind…so she headed for the spa house.

Only 30 minutes had passed when Conner stirred from his sleep. He rolled over to his side to check on Kira only to find she wasn't there. His eyes flew open, and he sat up fully alert. He threw on his tank top, track pants, and flip-flops. He needed to find his mate! Venturing out of the room, he padded down to the main level to the kitchen, pausing only for a quick bathroom stop. That was when he saw that the lights of the spa house were on. His brows furrowed. _What was she doing in there?_ Being mindful of all the guests that were still asleep in the house, he slipped out the sliding door and headed down the path through the gardens to the small cottage-sized building. Once he got the door, he stepped up on the porch and took off his flip flops.

When he walked in, the first thing he noticed was the tell-tale sound of the Jacuzzi jets working. He walked to the inner door and paused, taking in the sight before him. Kira stood waist deep with her back to him. Her hands moved over the bubbly water and that as all she did. He took in her lovely form and then noticed that she wasn't wearing her bikini…he hadn't seen her in her one piece for a very long time. She'd been so bold for the past few days. She'd dragged him through every women's clothing store in the mall, looking through the sales racks for one that suited her tastes. The one she'd ended up buying was his personal favorite. It showed off her curves perfectly and he'd nearly drooled all over himself when she tried it on again for him the day before. _What was going on?_ He walked into the room and sat down on the edge of the tub. "Kira?"

His blonde beauty turned around with a start. "Conner? I thought you were asleep."

"This isn't about me, Rock Star. I'm not that dumb jock anymore. Something's not right. You were so into that two piece yesterday…and now I find you back in the one piece. What happened to throwing this tent in the garbage as soon as you got home?"

Kira sighed and wrapped her arms around herself subconsciously. Conner furrowed his brow. This was definitely a 180 flip. "Now I'm convinced something's wrong. Is this about the trap?" Kira looked down at her feet and didn't answer him. Conner's eyes seemed to pierce her to her core. "You've been so bold these past few days. What's changed that I don't know about?"

Kira looked up at him again, and her body screamed vulnerability. "Conner…please don't do this. I'm trying to relax and prepare for facing him…today. Unless you have a way to make me invincible, then leave me and let me figure out how I'm going to face him again."

Conner slipped into the water, not caring that he wasn't wearing his trunks. He'd personally clean this tub out later when his girl was back to normal again. He wrapped Kira in his arms and kissed her softly on the lips. "You seem to have forgotten that we are a team. This moron is just one more monster for us to face. He's nothing more than a pathetic loser with microscopic genitals. You could take him easily any day of the week." He gently lifted her chin so that she was looking up at him. Not that I'd let you take him alone. I'm never going to leave your side…not even for a second. It's your show today, but I'm your back up."

Kira's eyes flashed. "I'm not scared of him. Only of the words he'll use against me. He's seen me at my weakest and most vulnerable moments. He armed with all kinds of ammunition and he's about to spout all that ugliness in front of everyone."

Conner studied her face again…and that's when he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. "Everyone showing up today knows what's going to go down. Every one of them has gone through some kind of trauma at some point. They were all vulnerable at some point, even the mighty fearless legendary green ranger. This is our moment when we've got to face the demon that's standing in our way. We take him out and we'll both be free."

Kira didn't look convinced. For the first time in a long time, she looked like a scared girl.

Conner sighed and thought again for a moment. There was something within him that snapped and he felt his heart explode with love. His eyes darkened a shade or two and he gently turned her so that she was standing with her back to him. "In the old days when the Green Ranger was around, he could at times hand over his dragon shield to a vulnerable team mate. I wish I could do the same for you…shield you from every nasty word that he'll send your way. But no such armor exists for this situation." He kissed her neck, sucking oh so gently on the skin there. Kira moaned softly and sank just a little more into his arms. "Good girl." Conner murmured. He lightly caressed her chest, making sure that she felt his hands on her. "I'd fit you with my own Battlizer so that you were protected against whatever black mail he's got on you. But today I want you to remember what it feels like when I touch you like this….There's nothing that can penetrate your defenses when my shield is protecting you."

A tear escaped Kira's eye and she hastily wiped it away. Conner let his hands wander just a little more to her stomach and Kira shivered just a little bit. "There's no single spot on you that I'd leave to chance. I love every part of you. But this area is important to me…one day it'll carry the most precious cargo we can have. And I'll look at you with so much pride and probably a little lust at how beautiful you'll look with our baby growing inside you." His hands traveled lower and for a moment it rested on the apex of her thighs. But then it went to her bottom and then she was being hoisted onto the edge of the Jacuzzi. "But you won't have to wait for that to know how proud I am of you already. I know you'll be all kinds of badass today. There's nothing sexier in my eyes then a woman who kicks ass and takes names."

Conner smiled at her and then stepped back to pick up her foot. He was mentally recalling all he'd read on sensual massage. He so very slowly began to massage her feet as he kept talking to her. "I have no clue how you women can manage to wear those high heel shoes, but I know they've got to ache at the end of the day…so I'd willingly spend every night massaging your feet, taking the ache away. I have no idea how today will end, but we'll be okay as long as when the day is over, we come back to this…just you and me."

Her legs were so soft. For a moment the image of them wrapped around his neck crossed his mind and he shook his head to clear the image. There would be time enough when she was fully and completely his wife. Instead, he put them down, moved closer and took her hands in his. They were quiet for a moment as the water bubbled up around them. "I wish I knew what else I could say to help you prepare for the day. But…." He paused and gaze at her swimsuit. He reached out and stroked the mound between her legs.

Kira groaned. He looked up at her as his hormones began to overtake him. "Conner, please don't tease me like that. Not unless you plan to take it further then petting. I don't know if I'll be able to wait till our wedding night. I need to feel you…everywhere. I just know there's going to be something I'm not ready for."

Conner looked at her with bedroom eyes then, hoisting himself up on the edge off the tub and heading for the towel rack. He took a fluffy towel and laid it on the ground. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to take you here and now…but what I plan to do with you once we're alone…we'll need plenty of privacy for it. For now, I'll give you what I can. Lay back on the towel."

Kira kissed his lips and then laid back looking up at him expectantly. "Today we're facing the last obstacle in this chapter of our love story. When we face that loser, I want you to remember back to this moment." Saying this, he stripped off his soaked track pants till he was only in his boxer briefs. Then he stretched out over her and put almost all his weight on top of her. "Remember my weight…this is what you have to look forward to when you're my wife. " Kira closed her eyes and felt Conner kiss her neck again. Then he stroked her breasts through her swimsuit, causing Kira to arch her back. Conner was starting to lose himself in the moment and he couldn't resist the urge to push the straps of her swimsuit down and kiss the valley between her breasts. Then he lifted himself up and began to press himself against her swimsuit covered mound. There was nothing more than one layer of clothes between them as he repeated the motion over and over again, pressing himself against her. Kira bucked up at him, which encouraged him to maneuver himself till he was situated between her legs.

"Connor…please…." she moaned.

Conner squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip, slowly coming back to himself. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes to meet hers, which were just as begging as her trembling lip. He pushed aside the fabric of her swim suit bottom and pressed two fingers against her clit. Kira cried softly and put a hand over his and together, they worked over her sensitive bundle. Her cries got louder and louder till she came hard, her thighs clinched together. Conner felt his pride grow knowing that it had been him that had pleasured his mate like that. Now he kissed her softly as he massaged her private area, helping her to come down easily from her euphoria. He waited till she was breathing normally again before he removed his hands and kissed her exposed slit. "This what I want on your mind today. Nothing else but us."

Kira could only nod as her eyes closed again. In moments she'd fallen asleep again.

Conner looked around him, suddenly wondering what he was supposed to do now. They had at least three more hours till the others were to come looking for them. Finally he decided that there was nothing he could do, because she had slept so fitfully the night before. So he lay down next to her after taking the rolled up towel and putting it under his own head. And then he gently rolled Kira so that she laid her head on his chest. Then he waited for his sleep to catch back up to him.

* * *

><p>Kimberly found them a few hours later. And after they'd cleaned themselves up in the spa shower and dressed appropriately with the clothes she'd brought with her from the laundry room, they'd set out immediately for McKnight Mansion. Now Kira stood in front of the mirror as Alma, who had been escorted along with Leif and his girlfriend via the party van as she'd called it, worked on the fake wedding dress.<p>

One of the stops during the week leading up the fake wedding was to the Angel Grove Mall. The store 'The Icing' had all the jewelry they required. It looked pretty and convincing now, but it was nowhere as glamorous as the genuine jewels Kira would be donning for her real wedding. Alma finally sat back and admired her work. "Well, girl, you're all set for this little shin dig you and that handsome man of yours have planned." Then she looked over at Autumn. "Come on young lady. You're up next."

Kira and Alma had discussed the plan at length. She was on board with all of them, though she'd said she didn't like the idea of Autumn or Kyle being there for the confrontation, but then she'd sighed and let it go. Now she took to the dress with gusto finishing it up in no time.

* * *

><p><strong>In the small vendor tent on the side of the manor<strong>

Danny had been busily putting together the surprise bouquet. Kira's wedding bouquet was finished and sitting in a special glass case out of the sun. Now, he worked on a second one, humming in contentment as he added the baby's breath to the lilacs and white roses. He'd been over the top thrilled to be a part of the special surprise to come.

Just then, he could hear heavy foot falls just on the other side of the tent. Max had always been light footed and that had been what Danny was waiting for, and he knew it was time to play his part. He continued to trim stems and fussed a bit with the placement of the last sprigs of the delicate white stuff.

Suddenly he heard Max speaking with a guy…or rather arguing with someone. Then in the next moment, Max tripped and fell hard in the door way and he groaned for a moment before passing out. Danny looked at the man. This had all been well rehearsed the day before.

Danny looked up from his best friend. "Can I help you with something…are you a vendor?"

The man stood in semi casual dress clothes, though he reeked of booze though he'd obviously tried to mask it with cologne. "I guess I am now. The Negro seems to have knocked himself out. Good help is so hard to find some times."

Danny shrugged, silently begging forgiveness from his friend on the floor. "He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's good for manual labor."

The man grinned, showing his yellowed teeth. "I'm looking for work, would you mind letting me take his place for a while. I'm between jobs as it were…and I'm looking temporary employment."

"I'm not so sure about that. Do you have any references? I have a reputation to uphold."

The man shrugged and pulled out a wad of cash all rolled up with a rubber band. "Would my friends Franklin and Jackson work?"

Danny wanted to roll his eyes, but he knew he was being quietly observed and Eric was nearby. So he grinned. "They'll do. Come on, I'll get you an apron…and I better get my employee out the way."

The man grinned and handed over the cash. Danny pocketed the money and walked over to the cabinet. Max lay prone all the while, watching through slanted eyes as everything happened.

Eric grinned with satisfaction as he saw the whole thing.

* * *

><p>It was time.<p>

Finally.

Bryce walked in the room with Karen in tow. Kira turned to her parents, and took in her mother's glowing face. "My dear, you look beautiful." Karen said with grin.

Kira looked at her closely. "Mom, is there something I should know about?"

Her parent's looked at each other and then at their daughter. "We got married sweetie. I wanted to be rid of that man's awful last name. So as soon as the divorce went through we hightailed it to Vegas. I'm the new Mrs. Kensington, just as I should have been the first time."

"Mom, Dad, that's awesome! Although I hope you saved any partying for later, am I right?"

"Yes, on our first anniversary we'll have a real reception. But we have much partying to do as it is. But first let's get that asshole out of our hair."

Kira laughed at them…it was a full laugh that made everyone take notice of them.

"Ok, I'm ready when you are."

David True-Heart hugged Conner tightly before stepping back, allowing his son to make his way up to the Altar where the army chaplain stood. Behind him walked Tommy, who took the place of honor as Best Man for this ruse. It had been decided that since he was the mentor to both the bride and groom that he should be nearby when things went down. Of course, Ethan and Trent played his groomsmen. More because of the fact that both boys had constantly been at his side and it would have looked odd to their prey if the two comrades were anywhere but near their friend. Lastly was Kyle, their ring bearer. He had a double motive for being in the groom's party. Hidden beneath the ring pillow was another tiny camera. Everything was to be documented so when the time came to bring evidence against Roger, nothing would be left to chance.

So, there they stood, looking sharp in their generic tuxes with white and blushing rose corsages pinned to their lapels. They also wore classic black vests as well.

All was ready.

As an extra precaution, all the young children were currently holed up in the mansion's TV room, Leif, Sapphire and Ranook having agreed to look after them all. Ranook had struck a deal with Eric who had allowed him to use an ear piece so he could keep up with the happenings.

Every head turned as the bridal music began to play.

Autumn took a deep breath and began her slow walk down the aisle. Before the start of the ceremony, as a help to Alma, Sapphire and Leif had strewn the isle runner with rose petals before heading up to their secondary job…as baby sitters.

As she made her way down the aisle, she locked eyes momentarily with Kyle who couldn't take his eyes off her.

The next to come down the aisle was Tanya. Because Kimberly was pregnant and no one could predict if there was to be any trouble, or live gun fire, it had been agreed that she would just be another person in the crowd of on lookers, though she got a seat of honor next to David and his wife. Next to proceed was Trini. She'd been the perfect choice. And Kira beamed with pride to have the original yellow ranger to back her up.

And so finally, it was time…and the music switched to the march. Kira proceeded down the aisle on her father's arm. Bryce was unable to help the fatherly pride beaming as he led her towards Conner whose face brightened at the sight of her. Finally they reached the place where they parted ways for the moment.

The older army chaplain smiled at them from where he stood. He was also in on the secret and the Bible he held in his hands was no Holy Book at all…it was a hiding place for his old service revolver. He smiled benevolently down at them and spoke at last. "Who gives this woman?"

Beaming with pride, Bryce grinned. "Her mother and I, Mr. and Mrs. Bryce Kensington!" Saying this, he grinned and lifted up Kira's veil and kissed her check, then he whispered in her ear, "Go get 'em, Baby."

Kira chuckled as he kissed the back of her hand and then placed in Conner's. Then he stepped away to take a seat by his new wife.

Conner turned to her then and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Just as he was about to pull back they heard a dark chuckle. Kira inhaled sharply and Conner whispered in her ear. "Remember."

Then she looked at Conner for a split second more and then turned to face the direction of the voice she hated the most. "Roger…what are you doing here?"

The disheveled man grinned menacingly at her. _Oh how he'd waited for this day!_ He all but pranced up towards them before Wes got up to intervene. He put himself between them. "This is a private ceremony…how'd you get in here?"

"Ah, so you know me?" he said in an arrogant tone. "It wasn't much of a challenge for me, though I don't know why that whore would need protection. She's really not worth the money."

Kira growled softly and suddenly felt Conner's hand slip into her own. Immediately her head cleared. She stood up straighter and turned to walk towards him; Conner never let go of her hand. "You really are stupid aren't you? I would have thought you'd find some new accusation to bring against me by now. Well, guess what, I've got enough accusations about you to write my own book. How about we start with how you beat up my mom. She was a bloody mess when we found her. Or how about how you continued to harass me even when there was no need to. You think I'm afraid of you? Please, I'm more scared of Freddy Kruger then I am of you."

Roger sneered. "It won't take much to subdue you again. Women like you are weak after all…and easily breakable."

Kira rolled her eyes and put a hand on Wes' arm. He nodded and stepped back. Now Kira stepped forward, bold and unafraid of the coward before her. "Wow, you really are pathetic." She said cocking her head sideways. "What did you do without mom around to tie your shoes?"

Roger growled and swung at her. His fist connected with the side of her face and immediately Eric and Wes were on him. They pulled painfully on his arms and cuffed him tightly as they could.

Kira put her free hand to her sore cheek, Conner gripping the other one. And she smiled back at him before she turned to Roger, noticing out of the corner of her eye how Bryce was making is way towards them. "As I said, you are a stupid man….butt licker. You waltzed into a trap, insulted a bride on her wedding day and then hit a woman in front of all these witnesses…who are all aware of who you are…and what you are. Just how did you expect to get away with it? We were more than ready for you."

Roger sneered at her. "By bringing a guest with me…an old flame from your past." At that same moment, a man in the back stood up and the sight of him made Kira startle.

"Scott…what the hell are you doing here?" Conner said in a deadly voice. "I believe I told you to stay away from my girl. I didn't think even you were so stupid to join forces with this loser."

Scott chuckled as he swaggered up to them. "Money talks, Bitches."

"And Bull shit walks." Conner muttered. "You have ten seconds to leave before I have you arrested."

Scott shrugged. "I never liked weddings to begin with…but before I go, you should know what kind of girl you're marrying. When I fucked her, she moaned like a whore…hell, she was the one who crawled up on me. She begged me over and over to make her cum…and when I did, she screamed my name. Virgins make the best lovers…always so needy."

Conner growled softly and then stepped forward blocking Scott's view of Kira. "Actually, If I remember correctly. She told me that you hurt her while you were together, you were so focused on winning that stupid bet that you didn't even make sure she was ready to keep going. You know, that doesn't sound consensual at all…it could be construed as rape, couldn't it…" Scott lunged at him, but was stopped short by Ethan and Trent. They both rushed him and knocked him to the ground. The sounds of a bone snapping could be heard as Scott groaned in pain. Conner stood over him now. "And that's what you get for showing your face to me again. You should have stayed gone…and now you're going down with him."

"If you two are about finished, I would like to get on with my own confrontation." Bryce said in an amused voice.

Conner looked back at Scott who was being hauled to his feet by Jason and Zack, who had rushed to help when the low life fell down.

"Yeah, go ahead." Conner answered as Kira drew close to his side. He picked up her hand and kissed it, before turning to watch as Bryce finally got his chance to confront the man who took everything from him.

"Yeah, like my future son-in-law was saying. This was all a very elaborate trap set up to catch you. You are a sneaky little bastard…hiding behind the hooded robe of the TSA, which as of yesterday, was apprehended by the FBI. You have no one to hide behind anymore. What these guests don't realize is that hiding and slinking around is what you do best. You didn't have the balls to fight me for Karen's hand. You used your influence to ensure that I couldn't find a job, and then you rushed her into accepting your proposal, all because you found out that I was coming into my own small fortune. I would've had more than enough to take care of Karen and our baby. You couldn't have that happen when you were so close to stealing away my girlfriend…and then when Kira began to mature and find love, you tried to subdue her like you did her mother. After you decided to end it by cheating on her, you forbid her to seek me out…and then when you found out she came to find me, you beat her to a bloody pulp and then tried to molest my daughter when she came to her mother's aid. If you had stayed away I may have let things pass, but you kept up the harassment. But that ends now. The FBI knows all about your involvement with the Klan and TSA. So hopefully, like they did to the Grand Dragon, they'll put you away as an accessory to a hate crime. And we'll never have to think about you ever again."

Taking that last statement as a verbal queue, the FBI rushed forward and took both Roger and Scott into custody.

When they were finally out of sight, Conner pulled a shaking Kira into his arms, all the while whispering sweet assurances into her ear. "It's okay, Rock star…it's all over." He hugged her tightly. "Wanna go somewhere?" Kira nodded into his chest and he scooped her up bridal style and walked out of the back yard. Soon, they were in Conner's old room and laying in the blankets, curled up around one another. They were quiet for several minutes and then Conner kissed Kira's hair. "You awake?"

Kira nodded and looked up at Conner. 'Yeah, but I really want to take this dress off and take a nice long shower."

Conner smiled and held Kira closer. "You know that we'll need to join the party eventually. Not at the moment, and I'm sure everyone will understand when we don't immediately show up for the festivities…"

"I don't know how I can face them. I was prepared to handle the butt licker when he showed up…but Scott…I didn't think I'd have to face him the same day. All my secrets are out there now."

_There it is. _Conner mused silently. Then he spoke again into the quiet bubble they shared. "Not all your secrets…there are things that only I know." He shifted up to a sitting position. "Only I know where to touch you to bring you over the edge. Next week, only I will know how incredible it will feel to be connected to you in all intimate ways. To know how warm and tight you are….to feel you take me in completely."

"Conner…" Kira moaned. "Please, don't start what you can't finish. I want it right now…I don't know if I can wait…I feel like jumping you and…."

"Shhh," Conner soothed. "I'm sorry, this whole waiting thing is getting to me too. He smiled and kissed her again. "How about that shower? My bathroom is incredible…and huge. Just like me."

Kira huffed a laugh. "Don't tease, Jock. Just get me out of this thing."

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><p><strong>*grins* Wohoo! The Butt-licker is gone! Up next is part 2...and yes, we'll see at least some of the wedding for Zack and Callista. But for now, leave me some virtual love for this chapter! <strong>

**See you next chapter!**


	34. Turn The Page Pt 2

**I so loved the response from the last chapter. I can happily say that the bad stuff is over for this story! Now it's all nothing love and fluff and some comedy. The bad guy is gone and never to be heard from again!**

**I'm sure you all know what is next, but anyway, I'll go ahead and put out the 'Citrus Warning' and also some free virtual cigarettes which should be needed after the citrus is over. *winks at fanficrulez and holds up a lighter* We are so very close to the end as there are only 2 more chapters and then the Epilogue. I am trying really hard to finish this so I can hurry up with the Christmas fic I have been constantly running through my head. **

**Anyway, the last thing I need to do is give kudos to my wonderful beta Mertmidnightangel who is still awesome in all meanings of the word! **

**Now, I do believe that is it, so read on and I'll be waiting at the bottom!**

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><p>Conner hadn't been lying about the bathroom. It had been remodeled in the previous years and now contained a walk in shower with a nice sturdy bench and a wide overhead shower head. Kira looked all around her and was instantly reminded that Conner did in fact come from money.<p>

Conner chuckled as he flipped on the light switch. "It's awesome right? This is my dream bathroom…somewhere I could relax once the monster of the day had been defeated. It really helped with relaxation. When we get our new place, I plan to put in something similar…."

Kira turned around then, completely naked. Conner paused mid-speech as he took in his future wife's beautiful form. Over the past few months of their love lives, he'd been adamant about not being naked in front of each other. Modesty was over rated in these modern times, but there was just something so sexy about this slow burn. It was the anticipation of having to wait to make love to her, not that they'd ever gone further than heavy petting and yes, those few times when he'd helped her handle her need to be sated and of course those times when his fiancé had been asleep and he'd needed to handle his own needs, but this was the first time he'd seen her without a stitch of clothing on.

And damn she was perfect!

_Just one more week_, he reminded himself, and then he'd know everything about her. Every gorgeous dip and curve would be his. His old pair of swim trunks suddenly felt really tight. Conner took a deep breath as his eyes met Kira's eyes again.

Kira looked back at him, suddenly feeling like a sex goddess with all the ways his eyes seemed to worship her. Her breath caught when he suddenly walked up to her and began ravishing her mouth. All the while his hands began to wander and suddenly Kira was filled with energy…as if she was suddenly a live wire….his hands were everywhere but where she suddenly wanted them. She shifted on her feet, just a little bit and that made Conner pause and break their lip lock before taking a step back.

He took a deep breath and looked at her. "I'm sorry Kira, this is just too fast. I wanted so badly to wait for this…."

"I'm sorry Conner, I just need you…I wasn't expecting Scott to show up….I'm a little freaked."

At hearing that loser's name in the sanctity of their bubble, Conner could feel the animalistic, possessive part of him begin to stir. "Enough, Kira. That asshat is gone, and I never wanna hear his name ever again. You're mine and there's not a damn thing he can do about it."

"I wanna be yours….all I could remember when he was there was that night…I really screwed up."

Conner felt his heart twist as the broken tone of voice. Kira was right, that was a dirty trick he'd pulled on her and was lower than he had expected. But no more. "No, he might as well have raped you. Only an arrogant loser takes what he wants and gives nothing back." Saying this he stepped back into her personal space.

"Tell me Kira, when you were with him…did he even bother to make sure you were ready for him?"

Kira shook her head. "No, it went kind of fast. We were kissing and then he kinda took over. It really hurt."

Conner growled. He knew there was pain for a woman the first time…but that asshole didn't even take care of the rare gift that Kira was. He was so done with hearing about that asswipe. He kissed Kira again and then looked her in the eye. "I've never taken a girl…woman before, but even I know what to do. I'm still going to wait to take you till our honeymoon. But this whole thing with Scott ends now. He's nothing compared to me."

"Help me forget him." Kira's voice was soft.

Conner nodded as he closed the glass door and turned the shower on. When the temperature was just right, he turned and took in her naked body again, meeting her eyes as he reached out and caressed her breast again. Kira pressed into his hand. "You are_ my_ mate Kira, and deserve to have every part of you tended to before I_ ever_ penetrate you."

That word never sounded so sexy to her. The water was pouring over both of them and the room was getting steamy in both meanings of the word.

"Your breasts are so beautiful…they should have been the first to be cared for." Saying this he took one of her hardened peaks into his mouth and sucked on them gently while he massaged the other one. Kira rested her head against the tile and she wanted so badly to find out just how big he was under those trunks. Her hand seemed to agree with her and she reached for him.

Conner released her breast and stopped her hand. "No, beautiful, I won't last long if you do what you're about to do." Kira looked into his eyes and sighed. He kissed her again and lifted her arms above her head to the towel rack that looked like it had been carved out of stone. She looked doubtfully at him. "It's sturdy, I made sure of it. I know you want to take care of me, like that…believe me it's all yours when we're married…and I can't wait to find out just how hot your pussy is…but for now, let me do this…I'm going to make you forget any boy you've ever been with. "

Kira could only nod, and she grabbed the towel bar. Conner kissed her mouth again before he went back to ravishing her body.

"Conner," Kira said in a soft voice as she felt the electricity spread through her again. His mouth felt so good as he made love to her breasts. After another minute passed, he released her and moved to her other breast, paying it the same attention until Kira could feel her inner muscles tightening. She bucked gently against him.

Conner released her again and looked into her eyes. "That is just the first thing I'd do. I can smell how needy you are. I'm about to make you feel so amazingly good. I bet you taste as good as you smell."

Kira looked at him confused. Conner only kissed her again before he sank to his knees and gently pressed the apex of her thighs and smiled up at her when she shifted her stance, spreading her legs a little for him. "Good girl, Kira. This is what should have happened your first time."

He kissed her mound and then cupped her sex possessively before he parted her slit and gave it a good hard lick.

Kira gasped loudly and moaned when he licked her again. Encouraged, he pressed his tongue against her bundle of nerves, and looked up at her as he continued to feast on her juices. Kira closed her eyes and her hips bucked again. Conner paused and firmly pressed her hip against the wall.

Then his tongue sank inside her again, and she could feel every pass of his tongue against her sensitive clit.

She let out a loud moan and then her eyes flew open and she covered her mouth. Conner noticed and then stopped what he was doing, licking his lips.

"Don't hold back Kira. I want to hear you moan and scream….there's just you and me, right here, right now."

"He said I sounded like a whore, moaning and screaming. Everyone knows what I sounded like."

Conner looked up at her and gently slipped a finger into her heat. "You were and still are innocent. Believe me, I want to hear you moan... it tells me you're enjoying what I'm doing to you. It doesn't make you a whore, it makes you a woman…a woman who's enjoying herself. These walls are soundproof, so no one can hear you but me. Trust me, you won't be able to hold back when I make you cum hard all over my tongue."

Kira felt her stomach clench at his words. Conner rubbed her mound gently before he lifted a leg over his shoulder and sank his tongue into her heat again. He was right, and Kira let out a really load moan followed by his name in gasping breaths. He looked up at her as he continued his ministrations. Their eyes connected and she began to reach release. Conner released her and licked his lips. Then he pressed two fingers into her heat and worked them in and out as he gently suckled her bundle.

Kira was panting hard and hanging onto the towel bar for dear life as her husband-to-be ravished her body. Fire joined electricity and he body was beginning to pulse hard. "Ugh….Conner!" She was all but keening as he worked her harder. Finally, she couldn't handle anymore and she fell over the edge. Conner leaned back and watched her passionate face as she rode her orgasm, his fingers still working her over. In his head, he imagined feeling her walls flutter around his…His trunks tightened even more at the thought of what it would feel like to be one with his wife….to have her ride him….cumming all around him. He was so aroused now that it was painful. He took a deep breath as his lover came down from her high. He withdrew his fingers and licked them. That was a flavor he'd not soon forget.

Kira was watching him now, releasing her hold on the bar and wobbling on weak legs. He took her hands and helped her settle on the ground as he shifted so that he sat on the tiles with his legs out in front of him. He smiled up at her, the smile fading as she shifted to straddle his legs so that his tented trunks were between them. Kira melted against him for a moment, their foreheads touching. Then she was kissing him with breathy kisses. He gently touched her skin over her heart and felt it pounding. He smiled and kissed her back.

"Feeling good?" he asked softly.

Kira nodded. "Who's Scott again?"

"He's nobody. Just a blip on the radar."

Kira nodded and leaned back looking at his erection that was straining against its confines. She reached between them and Conner stopped her again. "You don't have to."

"I want to. You've seen all of me, and now it's my turn."

That was logic Conner couldn't argue with and he put his hands on the floor tiles again. He watched with hooded eyes as her pretty hand released him. His cock stood tall and proud...and leaking. Kira reached out and touched the tip. Conner had never been touched by a woman….ever. It was a heady feeling…and it got more intense as the girl who owned his heart continued her exploration.

Kira wrapped her hand around him and stroked downward, Conner groaned and closed his eyes, suddenly thankful that Kira was sitting on his legs. As it was, he wanted to suddenly thrust up into her hands.

"Faster." He whispered.

Kira looked up at him and raised her eyebrow at him

"Kira, I'm a little more worked up than usual. Please, I'm not gonna last long." He immediately felt guilty when she gave him a look of unease. Now he wanted to smack himself. Taking a deep breath, he gently took her hand in his and wrapped her hand around himself and showed her how he liked it. This was one more reminder that just because she wasn't a virgin anymore, didn't mean she was suddenly an expert on pleasuring men….a man…him. Before long, he felt the tightening feeling in his stomach and he took his hand away from hers. "I'm cumming….oh god I'm cumming..." A few seconds later he exploded all over her hands. She gave him a look of pride and then she was kissing him, hotly.

When things calmed down a bit, Conner grinned, "I promise you Kira, to take my time with you. Before long, you'll have me at your mercy." Then he noticed the water started getting cooler. Conner looked up at the shower head. "Come on, we better get washed off, they'll be expecting us at the ceremony or at least the reception."

As they stood under the spray, cleaning each other up, there was a moment when they both looked down and watched the suds going down the drain. They both then looked into each other's eyes and touched their foreheads together.

"We're free." Kira whispered.

"Yes we are." Conner replied.

And they kissed again.

* * *

><p>Sadly, they didn't make it in time for the ceremony as neither could keep their hands to themselves. But still, they were there just as the official announcement was made and the newest bride and groom walked through the doors.<p>

Kira squeezed his hand and he grinned down at her.

"Glad you could make it," said a smirking Jason.

Conner rolled his eyes. "Don't judge, I'm sure I remember hearing something about a dance club and something called a strip tease. But that wouldn't be you, would it?"

"Touché."

Kira grinned as her eyes settled on the goth couple in the back…two of them.

"We invited the Queen Lilith and her Endymion too. She and her little Gothic army are responsible for stopping the dude who attacked Kyle."

Kira instantly felt guilty. "I hate that I missed it. The whole time the teens needed me I was hiding up in my bedroom."

"Hey, none of that." Conner gently grasped her chin and lifted it so she was looking into his eyes. "That bastard ass licker hit us on two fronts. Your reaction was understandable. But none of that matters anymore, and we are here to celebrate."

Kira took a deep breath and then smiled radiantly up at her lover. He grinned and bent down, kissing her again. The moment didn't last much longer, as a blur in a sweet little blue dress hurtled towards them. Conner laughed and caught her just in time. He lifted her up to his eye level and she wrapped her arms around his neck and then turned to Kira.

"Are you okay? I could hear shouting over 'Nook's head set!"

Kira grinned and hugged her hard. "Just another battle to fight….only this time I was wearing a bridal gown. But, as Conner just told me. It's time to celebrate…and I think that a reception is the perfect place to start. So, little ninja, give me your report!"

Kayla grinned. "You missed the wedding, but it was pretty…and a little sappy…Kai and Alex were the ring bearers and I was the flower girl. Danny did the flowers and stuff for the wedding." Kayla paused and held up her wrists showing a tiny corsage of Baby's Breath and tiny blue buds and little crystals sprinkled throughout. "He made this for me too! He said that for your wedding, he can put flowers and stuff in my hair too!"

Kira looked at Conner. "But I thought that we had another flower person for the wedding."

"You do." Danny answered as he came towards them. "When I was with Joycelyn's mother, she had a business selling handmade accessories like barrettes and stuff. We're not together anymore but I thought it might be fun to see if it was possible to try it with real flowers. I'll be making hers for your wedding next week. I thought it was something that Kayla might like as well."

Kira wanted to ask what happened to the mother, but Kayla spoke first. "Mommy said I can have whatever flowers I wanted too!"

Conner held her close. "Did I ever tell you what an awesome kid you are?"

Kayla grinned and pecked her new discovered cousin's cheek. "I know I am. It's ok."

Tommy chuckled as he walked up. "I wondered where my little ninja slipped off to."

"I'm right here, I wanted to make sure Kira was ok."

"And is she?" Tommy asked giving his former students a side look.

Kayla nodded. "Yep, she is…and she says we can start the party too!"

Tommy laughed softly and kissed his daughter's cheek. "Well, I guess we better get started then. The bride and groom are about to have their first dance!" Grinning, Tommy looked at the younger couple. "Come on, you're at our table."

Once they were seated in the reception area, which also happened to be the ballroom of the mansion, the DJ, who had to have been related to the mechanics, spoke up.

"Greetings to all the family and friends here celebrating the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Zack Taylor. My name is DJ Gabriel Montoya and we're going to get things started off the right way. So, if you would all please take your seats, I would like to call out the bride and groom to the dance floor for their first dance as Man and Wife."

The lights around the room dimmed and the spotlights showed in the middle of the floor. Zack, with a beaming face that shone with perfect happiness, led Callista to the middle of the floor as the opening strains of the song began to play.

It's undeniable... that we should be together...  
>It's unbelievable how I used to say that I'd fall never<br>The basis is need to know, if you don't know just how I feel,  
>Then let me show you now that I'm for real...<br>If all things in time, time will reveal...  
>Yeah...<p>

One... you're like a dream come true...  
>Two... just wanna be with you...<br>Three... girl, it's plain to see that you're the only one for me...  
>And four... repeat steps one through three...<br>Five... make you fall in love with me...  
>If ever I believe my work is done<br>Then I'll start back at one  
>(yeah)<p>

So incredible the way things work themselves out...  
>And all emotional, once you know what it's all about, babe...<br>And undesirable for us to be apart...  
>Never would've made it very far...<br>'Cause you know you've got the keys to my heart  
>'Cause...<p>

One... you're like a dream come true  
>Two... just wanna be with you<br>Three... girl, it's plain to see that you're the only one for me  
>And four... repeat steps one through three<br>Five... make you fall in love with me  
>If ever I believe my work is done<br>Then I'll start back at one.

Say farewell to the dark of night  
>I see the coming of the sun...<br>I feel like a little child  
>Whose life has just begun.<br>You came and breathed new life  
>Into this lonely heart of mine.<br>You threw out the life line  
>Just in the nick of time.<p>

One... you're like a dream come true  
>Two... just wanna be with you<br>Three... girl, it's plain to see that you're the only one for me  
>And four... repeat steps one through three<br>Five... make you fall in love with me  
>If ever I believe my work is done<br>Then I'll start back at one.

As the song came to a close, Zack pulled Callista flush with him and kissed her deeply with passion that could have set the room on fire.

Conner lifted his and Kira's entwined hands and kissed them chastely…their own wedding was a little more than a week away.

He couldn't wait.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you all liked this chapter shorter though it was. Yes, we all know what comes next, and I have already begun writing it. <strong>

**Song Credit goes to Brian Mcknight for_ Back At One._**

**I will be back soon, hopefully by next Saturday with the next chapter! Until then, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving (for those who celebrate it)**


	35. The Glory Of Love Part 1

**We're nearly there. it's hard to believe. I don't have a lot of time for an extended AN. So just read on and enjoy.**

**Also, once more, Kudos to Mertmidnightangel for her editing skills.**

* * *

><p><strong>Angel Grove<strong>

About 1:30 PM

Conner stood in front of his mirror in the grown up's bathroom. He ran the brush through his hair once more before deciding that he looked ready for his last and final date as a single guy.

The wedding was the next day. He knew that according to the rules he'd had to separate from his love for the night. But today was for them. They'd spent all of the week finalizing every last detail for their day of joy. Now, after all the craziness, they were about to go for a date…a day of fun. It was exactly what they needed, just the two of them relaxing and being silly.

Kira sat in Kimberly's room in front of her vanity. Kim stood behind her as she removed the last curler from her hair. She was helping her get ready for the date. The blooming mother figure paused as she noticed that Kira seemed to be in her own world. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Kira looked at the mirror seeing her mentor's face. "Dr. O and the other guys seemed pretty excited this morning at breakfast. It was kind of unnerving how they kept eyeing Conner."

Kimberly grinned. "Oh, that….I don't know how much I should tell you…but there's a certain ranger ritual among the guys. It was originally Jason's idea, though I have suspected that it has to do with the mini fight he and Tommy got into after the white ranger returned. On the night of his bachelor party…they…um…Jason took some revenge on Tommy. It's a closely guarded secret so all I will tell you is that at some point around 6 or so, the guys will show up to collect your bridegroom. They have some plan in mind, but when they show up, don't panic…it's all in good fun."

Kira felt suddenly nervous. "And um, is there a special girl ranger ritual that I should expect?

Kimberly snorted delicately. "Not so much and even if there was, you'd be exempt from it. With all the crap you've been through, the last thing you need is a surprise attack from out of nowhere. It could ruin the fun we're planning for tonight.

"They're going to attack Conner?" Kira asked in a horrified voice.

Kim bit her lip. "I did ask Tommy to take it easy on him. I think that my husband is a good judge of character, now that he's all grown up and mature….to a point. After that putty incident in 95, he's learned to be a little more observant of people. He'd not go through with the ritual if he thought Conner couldn't handle it."

Kira sighed. "Ok, I won't say anything to him about it…it's all in fun."

Kim looked relieved. "Good, now hold your breath. And she picked up the bottle of moose.

* * *

><p>Conner strode into the garage to where his pretty red mustang sat. Earlier that morning, after breakfast, he'd taken it to get a checkup at the Garcia brother's garage. He'd have asked the guys to help him out, but the other rangers seemed entirely too observant of him and that made him a little nervous. His ranger instinct had told him they were up to something.<p>

Once he was done with them, he'd taken his car through the local hand car wash and gave it a thorough cleaning. He smiled as he saw how the headlights seemed to gleam in the dim light, inspecting his car one last time before he slid into the driver seat and checked his mirrors.

Checking the time, he figured Kira should be ready very soon. With a happy sigh he started up the engine and backed out of the garage. Just as he predicted, Kira was waiting at the top of the steps as he approached. In respecting Adam's request that they take their shoes off before coming in the house, this had become their practice. It made things easier on date nights.

Conner grinned and got out of his car, walking up the front steps and wrapping Kira up in his arms.

"Ready for some fun, Rockstar?"

"Lead the way Jock."

They were both in a lighthearted mood as he kissed her lips and then led her down the steps where Conner opened up the door for Kira to get in. With an excited laugh, Kira buckled herself in and with a wave to Kim and Tommy who waiting on the porch, they drove off.

Tommy looked at Kimberly. "Are you ever gonna let me live that whole putty thing down?"

Kimberly grinned and took his hand. "Nope, though it's not as high on the list as you rolling your Tigerzord."

Tommy sighed and then got a smile on his face. "So, you think they have any idea what we have planned for them?"

Kim shook her head. "I gave Kira a little warning, just to ease her mind, but no, you and the others have the green light to do your whole super hero beat down thing. Just promise me you're going to go easy on him."

"You know I will. He's my nephew after all. This won't be anything like what we did to Rocky okay?"

Kimberly sighed and shook her head. "Come on Handsome, help me get my shower, the girls will be here in an hour to do some last minute shopping for the bachelorette party tonight."

Tommy grinned as he scooped his wife up bridal style and carried her back through the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Hours later, just before Dusk.<strong>

Kira kissed Conner as he held her close. Conner broke the lip lock and reclined against the tree. They were relaxing in the park where the original power rangers had so many putty battles.

Unbeknownst to them, it was also the very same tree around which Adam, Aisha, and Rocky had been held prisoner when they first came on the scene. At the moment, however, the rangers were far from their minds.

"So, where are we going for the honeymoon?"

Conner grinned. He had planned on it being a surprise, but his will to keep it a secret was slowly unraveling. "It's in Tennessee. Very secluded and scenic…though I don't know if I'll ever be able see any of it…not when I'm staring at you the whole time."

Kira leaned in and kissed him again. "But where in Tennessee?"

"Gatlinburg. Pretty close to Dollywood."

Kira was confused now. We're going to Dollywood? I thought you said it was secluded."

Conner chuckled. "Can't you just trust me?"

Kira huffed. "Okay, if I must."

Conner gave her an amused look. "I promise Rockstar, it's worth the wait…just like you are."

Kira's heart fluttered at all these sweet but sincere declarations coming out of her soon to be husband's mouth. She pecked his lips and then turned so that she was straddling his lap, Conner watching her with interest. Kira wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips that would have melted snow.

Conner wrapped his arms tighter around her. The moment was getting hotter and hotter as both young lovers lost themselves under the tree. That's when the others struck.

Tommy cleared his throat loudly. The happy couple broke apart and looked up in surprise.

"Dr. O?" Conner asked in confusion.

"I told you before, dear Nephew…I'm just Tommy…or rather, Uncle Tommy when I'm not a high school science teacher. On your feet lover boy."

"Why? Where are we going?" Conner asked looking at Kira.

Tommy let loose an evil chuckle. "Your bachelor party."

Conner was completely confused now. "And you couldn't have just let me know where it was…I could have just driven myself there."

Tommy laughed again. "Yeah, we could have. But this way is more fun." Then he looked over at Jason and Rocky who were quietly waiting and nodded.

"Take him."

Conner gave Kira a panicked look. She just pecked his lips and grinned. "Give 'em hell, baby."

Conner grinned and kissed her back before he was roughly dragged to his feet. He gave them all a look of challenge and then stomped hard on Rocky's foot.

"Ugh, not the foot!" Rocky yelled, letting go of his hold on Conner. Taking the opportunity, Conner yanked his arm out of Jason's grip and took off towards his car. Only the car wasn't there anymore. His moment of confusion cost him and he was grabbed from behind again. He grunted and used an escape move Tommy had taught him, taking off again towards the entrance to the park as soon as he was free.

What he hadn't counted on was the sudden appearance of Trent and Ethan who tag teamed him and drug him to the ground. A moment later, Adam and Billy joined them, piling on top.

"Traitors!" Conner accused.

Trent laughed loudly. "Nope, your groomsmen. Dr. O says it's all in fun. And I'm having the time of my life!"

Conner rolled his eyes and didn't resist anymore. A moment later he was yanked to his feet and Jason tied his hands with a pair of padded handcuffs and Adam tied a red blindfold on his head to blind him.

Tommy walked towards him with Jason. Conner could only hear his evil laugh again.

"Relax Conner. This is a power ranger tradition. We took it easy on you tonight and now we're going to have some fun at your bachelor party. Don't worry about Kira, she's being hauled away by my wife and the other girl rangers."

"Now, let's get you into the vehicle." Said Jason. Conner gave one more token struggle before he allowed himself to be hauled into the bed of the truck. As one more kindness, the guys had at least put a few camping blankets in the back so things wouldn't be so rough on the 'prisoner.'

Kira watched him go, feeling proud of her mate.

Kimberly walked up to her and put an arm on her shoulder. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's get this party started."

* * *

><p>By now Conner was totally relaxed as he let the other guys lead him into the dojo. He trusted Dr. O completely and knew that his newly discovered Uncle would never let him get seriously hurt. Finally, he was pushed down none too gently into a chair and his blindfold was removed. He kept his eyes closed thinking that he'd be blinded by the lighting…but when he slowly opened his eyes he found out that the lighting had been dimmed. He blinked a few times and then looked up to see both his real dad and his uncle standing in front of him.<p>

"Dad?"

David grinned. "Damn, I'll never get tired of having my sons address me like that." He grinned down at Conner. "Glad you survived the take down."

Tommy chuckled. "He was lucky, we're usually rougher on our captives."

"Yeah," Rocky agreed. "I got taken down in the dead of night and dragged down two flights of stairs when it was my turn."

Ethan laughed. "That would have been funny to see."

Rocky rolled his eyes and gave Ethan a side look. "If the rumor is right, you'll be the next victim."

Ethan stopped laughing.

There was an awkward silence which Adam immediately broke. "So, let's get this party started!"

Conner grinned. "I'm with Adam on that one, let's eat!"

Jason smirked. "Spoken like a true red ranger."

Tommy wiped a fake tear from his eye. "You make me so proud."

David grinned and pulled out the key from his pocket, with a twist of his wrist, the handcuffs were gone.

"Dad, the handcuffs were your idea?"

"A father's mercy…this isn't my first ranger bachelor party, they normally use real handcuffs, but I didn't want them used on my son. "I found these on eBay a few weeks ago."

Conner didn't know what to say "You know, I probably could have handled this without the kid gloves. This is kind of jeopardizing my manliness."

Rocky grinned. "No worries, you have all night to earn back your status. We've set up both an eating and martial arts free for all. You'll easily earn back the bro points before the night is up. Speaking of which, Kira left you a surprise for your party."

Conner sat up and looked around. There on the banquet table, was a medium sized cake decorated all over with soccer balls. He grinned and got up from the table to get a better look. It was even better than the one at the bakery.

"Kira did this?"

"Tanya has a kit she found at a craft store. It shows how to make cakes like this. The two of them worked on this late last night. I don't need to tell you what an amazing girl you have."

Conner grinned. "That's an understatement. There's no words for how awesome she is."

* * *

><p><strong>Back at the Manor<strong>

**Spa House**

Kira looked around the room as she lay on the fancy looking chaise lounge that had been delivered earlier that day. She'd never seen anything like it before but it was very comfortable…though the little buckles by her head and feet confused her. She just chalked it all up to fancy design...

She'd been confused when Aisha and Tanya had blindfolded her when they'd arrived at the Manor. Kimberly had only held her head close and said, "Trust me. You're about to partake in an ancient ritual. This is going to be a night you'll never forget."

Kira had no reason to doubt her former mentor, so she'd allowed the other female rangers to lead her through the gardens and towards the party. She was relieved that find out that the ritual that her fellow rangers was much kinder then the one her fiancé had been subjected to.

Over the past week small changes in the scenery had been added. A few faux columns and statues were placed here and there as well as gauzy panels draped over the windows and swaths of fabric in all shades of soft yellows were hanging over the door ways and off the wooden rafters to create a primal-feeling oasis. Kimberly had referred to it as a ceremonial washing before, when she described it to her protégé that morning. It had a sacred feel to it and the women had made it a point to treat the bride as a celebrity or a princess, however the bride saw herself as. The last detail Kira had noted was the costume. It was something out of Grecian times. The women were wearing thin white togas, bathing suits underneath, with flowers in their hair. For this occasion, everyone not currently partaking in the Jacuzzi also wore rope belts in the color of their ranger helms.

A few moments after they entered the door, the blindfold had been removed. Ashley had approached her and dropped a small bow before leading her to the changing screen and had instructed her to remove her clothing and put on the yellow bikini that had been taken from her room. Once that had been done, Ashley had draped an Egyptian cotton sheet around her and had tied it off with a yellow silk rope.

Kira had also noticed that aside from her mother, Melanie and her Aunt to be, there were no other civilians there, which was odd.

Kim, Melanie, and Aisha were relaxing in the Jacuzzi as the water jets bubbled up around them. They seemed to be having a lively conversation about pregnancy and breast feeding. Kayla sat on the edge of the pool in her sparkly black swim suit. Behind her sat Trini who was carefully braiding the child's hair. The next day it would be really curly and all ready for her new friend Danny to add in his little floral creation.

"So, is this all happening during the bachelorette party?" Kira asked Karone who was giving her a facial. The former evil princess had been about to apply the warm towel on the youngest ranger veteran but pulled back and raised her eyebrow. "No, there are a few more things we do, including the all-important sex talks."

Kira felt her eyes widen. "Tell me you're kidding."

Karone let loose a wicked chuckle that befitted her former status. "Oh no, sweetheart. Just rest assured that there is a reason for it. That's not just any man you're marrying. Power Rangers of the male variety are a whole different animal when in the bedroom. It would be a great big mistake if we didn't inform you of what exactly you're signing on for."

Kira blushed as Karone put the warm towel on her face again.

Later that night they all sat around the Jacuzzi. Those not sitting in the water, were reclining on floor pillows. As the credits for The Princess Bride rolled down the screen, Kira looked over to see that Kayla was snoozing softly against her mother's chest. They had eaten during the movie, a feast featuring all kinds of comfort foods fit for a royal banquet. She watched as Tanya stood over her team-mate and gently lifted a softly snoring Kayla and took her to a small but fluffy pallet in the corner of the room and laid her down.

Then, with the little girl tucked in, Aisha shut off the large screen TV that had been previously hidden behind a false wall. This room was just full of surprises!

Kira knew the moment had come. She looked over to see that Autumn was still awake. The girl had a contemplative look on her face as the other women formed a circle around her. The yellow dino thunder ranger began to panic. "Um, should Autumn be here for this?"

Tanya looked at her daughter. "I gave her a preview of this talk tonight, and gave her the chance to option out. She didn't."

Kira nodded and then looked up as Kimberly sat in front of her. The two looked at each other for a moment and then Kimberly took a deep breath.

"Mawaage…Mawwage is what bwings us together…today."

Kira was quiet for a moment and then busted out laughing. Kim grinned seeing that the tension in the room had broken. When the laughter had died down she took Kira's hand in hers. "This is supposed to be a fun conversation. Kira, I know your first experience was awful, but you should know that what happened with that loser is nothing compared to what you get when you're making love to a former ranger."

"Especially a red ranger," Aisha added.

Kira gave her a look. "There's a difference?"

Trini nodded. "Yep. I didn't know it when I first married Jason, as he was the first married red ranger. But when it came time for Rocky to marry Aisha, we started comparing notes. The men have no idea they ever came up with a conversation like this."

Kira nodded.

"Being a red ranger, the men are natural leaders, and very protective us their women. Some call it possessive, and it's a major turn on. In the bedroom, you'll find that while black rangers, and blue rangers are loving and sweet. Fire burns as hot as the color of their mantle. Jason was insatiable. We didn't come out of the bridal suite for almost a day and a half and when we weren't eating, we were rolling in the sheets. Once I was Mrs. Jason Scott, it was like he was given freedom to do with me as he pleased." Trini grinned at the memory. "It didn't matter where we were in the hotel. I'd thought when he booked the suite that he intended to take long bubble baths, but he told me that it was because he needed more room to do what he had planned. He was unbridled, and he didn't back off until I complained that I was too sore to carry on. He felt badly afterward and begged my forgiveness. Even though I told him over and over that I forgave him, he didn't seem to believe me and went out of his way to try and make it up to me. It wasn't until I stood up to him and forced him to stop, that he got it through that thick skull of his that everything was forgiven."

"So, all red rangers are cave men?" Kira asked

Trini paused and tilted her head to the side as if to think it over. Then she nodded, "Yes, you could put it that way. They definitely have the appetite of one and the sex drive. The only thing to be done about it is to remember to be vocal with him and blunt. Red rangers are tough, but they have difficulty interpreting flowery words. You gotta be straight up with them, but be sweet about it."

Kira nodded. "Okay, is there anything else?"

Aisha nodded. "Yeah, there is. You are perfectly matched up with Conner. You're his counterpart. Just like you had his back on the battle field, you need to have his back in everyday life. There's a reason why it's a rarity for rangers to marry outside of the grid, it takes a very special person to adapt to our way of life." Saying this, she gave Melanie a soft smile.

"I didn't realize there was so much to being a ranger." Melanie said softly.

Tanya grinned at her. "Trust me, it's worth it. It's a heavy mantle to carry and if things get rough, there may be some bruising, but that's part of why we all banded together. It's not easy being a ranger, but with a support group like this, you can bet it would be very hard to fall through the cracks."

While all this was going on, Autumn had scooted closer to Kira and slipped her a cell phone.

On the screen was a text from Kyle's phone.

K: _This is Conner, you doing okay Kira?_

Kira grinned and texted back

A: _This is Kira. I'm okay, just enduring the sex talk courtesy of the lady rangers._

_K: You too? I'm getting the same treatment LOL. You're not horribly scarred are you?_

_A: Honestly, it just makes me even more excited for our honeymoon._

_K: Me too. The talks are very inspiring._

_A: I don't look forward to sleeping alone tonight._

_K:_ _Check your duffle bag. I snuck in the Tee I wore last night. It's just one more night, then you're never gonna sleep alone again. I'm not letting you out of our bed the entire honeymoon._

Kira felt her heart flutter.

_A: I know it sounds corny, but the next time we meet, I'll be giving you everything._

_K: You have no idea how good that sounds. We better stop Kira. We're not using our own phones right now. Just know that I'll be dreaming of you tonight. Tomorrow, I'll be waiting at the altar to hand you my heart and my name. I can't wait to make you my wife._

_A: I love you Conner._

_K: I love you too Rockstar. It won't be long now._

_A: Tomorrow can't come soon enough._

_K: I know, but it's all worth it. Just like you._

Just then, Kimberly cleared her throat.

Kira grinned and shrugged, then texted back one last time.

_A: I love you Jock. But I have to go, we've been busted._

_K: Okay, Rockstar. I love you too. See you tomorrow._

Kira grinned and then slipped the phone back to Autumn. Then she gave her attention fully back to the girl talk…but her mind wasn't on the party anymore. No, her thoughts were all on the man she loved.

She'd dream of him tonight too.

* * *

><p><strong>You all know what comes next!<strong>

**This week has been overly rough on my nerves...so leave me some love ok?**


	36. The Glory Of Love Part 2

**We've finally made it to the wedding chapter. I know you guys are all excited for it as it's been anticipated since this fic began. Therefore I won't keep you very long. **

**First off, Mega Kudos and thanks go to Mertmidnightangel for getting this to me so fast. I was really hoping to have this posted before Christmas and she made it happen. Consider this chapter your Christmas Present. **

**I really wanted to post a Christmas fic this year, but with everything that's happened this last couple of months, it just wasn't possible. There will eventually be one however. **

**Lastly, there is a lemon warning for this chapter. (Finally!) **

**See you guys at the bottom!**

* * *

><p>Conner adjusted his tie again. Logan, Ethan, and Kyle w'ere in the back getting their wedding finery on. As he looked into the full length mirror, he reflected on the somewhat awkward talk he'd been given the night before, when Jason had approached him as the others began to spread out the sleeping bags and make calls to their significant others.<p>

"_So, tomorrow's a big night for you."_

_Conner froze and looked over at his predecessor_. "_Please tell me he's not going to give me a sex talk."__ He begged silently to whatever Supreme Being was listening to him._

"_I know it's an uncomfortable topic; that's why I'm not bringing it up in front of the others. You're marrying a yellow ranger, just like I did. I'm only doing this as a favor to another red."_

_Conner raised his eyebrow. "Um, I already got the sex talk…what more could you have to tell me?"_

"_It's nothing like that. I'm sure you know all about the mechanics of it all. I just wanted to give you a small piece of advice."_

"_I'm listening."_

"_When you and her are together, make sure you pay attention to her every reaction. When I first made love to my wife, I let my needs rise above hers and I could have really hurt her. Yellow rangers are tough, but that's not an excuse to just assume she can handle anything you decide to do with her. Trini let me off the hook, but I felt like a humongous jerk when I saw how she was wincing. Whatever you do, go easy on her. Sex the first time is a mind-blowing experience, but don't let the euphoria of it all take you over."_

_Conner nodded. "Okay, got it. Are we done?"_

"_Yeah, that's about it. Also if anyone asks, we never had this conversation."_

Conner chuckled at the memory. But he also had to admit that he was grateful for the advice. Tonight he would finally claim her for himself in all possible ways. He was excited, but the advice helped ground him. He'd never forgive himself if he hurt his beautiful Rockstar.

"Hey, there's the bridegroom himself!" David said as he walked up behind his offspring. "You look good, Son! How nervous are you?"

Conner turned to his dad who was giving him a once over. "I'm not nervous. Honestly, I'm just ready to make Kira mine. We've waited long enough. I've never been one for ceremony, though. I've done all this to make her happy.'

"As any good husband should. I wish I could have been around for everything, but you've made me very proud."

"There's plenty more things to stick around for. Kira and I have our whole lives ahead of us and the Forces of Evil never stay away for long."

David only nodded and helped his son put on the suit coat. "Well, hopefully, it will stay away long enough for you two to get settled in."

Conner nodded. "In the meantime, Logan and I talked things over…we're selling McKnight Mansion to Wes. He told me he has a feeling that the rangers might need the estate someday. When Kira and I return from our honeymoon, we're going to start looking for a house of our own."

"Your step mom and I can start scouting for one while you're gone. What exactly are you looking for?"

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile<strong>

**The Spa House**

"Kira!" Kayla's voice had been the first one she'd heard the next morning. She opened her eyes blearily and smiled at the sweet girl who was smiling down at her.

"Mom said it's time to get ready."

The bride sat up slowly and hugged the little girl to her. "Yep, it's about that time. You ready to be my flower girl?"

Kayla nodded excitedly. "Mommy has my dress and Mr. Danny has the flowers for my hair. He said he had to drive over from the prison they took Conner to."

"Aww sweetie, he's not in prison. It's called a bachelor party." Kira lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Don't tell anyone, but I got to speak to him last night. He's just fine."

Kimberly stood in the door way and smiled as the girls giggled with each other. She didn't have the heart to reveal to her baby girl that the yellow ranger had been totally busted. Kimberly was there to lead the bride to the main house where the others were making the bridal breakfast. It would be small fare, nothing to upset the stomach, and after breakfast it was into the showers for them all.

They only had 5 hours till Kira walked down the aisle. The florist would be there in the next couple of hours to hand over the bouquets and yes, her daughter's new favorite person would be there with Kayla's specially made circlet.

Callista had called about an hour before to let them know she was on her way over to meet the venders, and Alma was being picked up in the _Carlita_ along with her helpers. Alma had expressed over and over how much she loved being driven around like a celebrity. So, the brothers were on her way to pick her up along with the wedding dress and the other things the bridal party needed. Kimberly had slipped the Garcia brothers a 40 to give their favorite dress maker and her helpers a good breakfast.

They would all need their strength today.

* * *

><p>The hours seemed to pass by for Conner. It was just about 11:30 AM, the wedding was set to begin at noon, and Conner was just about to come out of his skin. Their caravan of cars, trucks and SUV's headed down the driveway with Conner's Mustang leading the way. At the wheel sat Tommy, the only other person that Conner trusted with his 'baby'.<p>

Tanya and Aisha stood at the front door to meet them, clearly eager for their husbands to return.

Conner was out of the door just as Tommy hit the break. Trent and Ethan were right behind them and each of them took an arm to keep their friend from rushing to the house.

"Easy buddy." Ethan soothed. "You'll see your bride soon enough."

Conner sighed in resignation.

Trent squeezed his shoulder. "We were given specific instructions. We're to head to the dojo. That's where the minister is waiting to speak with you."

Ethan grinned again and put a blindfold over his friend's eyes. "Don't get mad, this is to make sure you don't accidently see something you're not supposed to."

"Payback is a bitch Ethan."

"So, I've been told. But these instructions came from Mrs. O, and I'm more intimidated by her than by you."

Tommy chuckled behind them the door closed and he drove to the garage. The car would be safely stored in the garage till they came back. The Garcia brothers would be there with a limo when the reception was over and the newlyweds were ready to make their escape. Just to put Kira's mind at ease, Eric and Wes would drive their vehicles in front of and behind the limo providing an escort. Once they got back to California, Tommy and Jason would be there to drive them back.

And so, it was one last trust exercise that led the groom around the side yard and past the 'Bird House' and to the Dojo. Once that happened, the door was closed behind them and the blindfold was removed.

Conner blinked a few minutes and when his eyes adjusted, he saw that only his groomsmen and father were there. Then the door opened again and the minister walked in, and they got down to business.

* * *

><p>Bryce walked into the bridal room and stopped, his eyes homing in on his beautiful daughter. She slowly turned at his inhaled breath and smiled at him. In all his years he never felt so proud. Kira had turned into a stunning young woman.<p>

The dress she wore was so very unique. She looked like an enchanted princess, which she was in his eyes. It was sleeveless with sheer white fabric flowing down from her shoulders. The skirt hugged her waist and then flowed out around her feet. She looked magical. As he walked in, he saw Karen and Kimberly. Both women turned to look at him. Karen turned to grin at him as she held the Sparkling Circlet over their daughter's head. Kimberly meanwhile stood next to them holding a couple pearlescent hair pens in her fist.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, ladies. I just wanted to see the bride and speak to her for a moment."

Karen grinned at him and slowly stepped down from the foot stool. They both walked over to Autumn who was looking at herself in the mirror.

Bryce walked forward and took Kira's hands in his. She grinned up him with shining eyes.

"My daughter…a Power Ranger. You are such an amazing woman. I'm so lucky to have you for a daughter. I wish I'd have been there for everything but at least I get to walk you down the aisle."

Kira hugged her dad. "There wasn't much to see, believe me. You'd have been worried out of your mind; every time we had to fight Mesagog there was always a chance we could get hurt."

"I don't care about evil. It can kiss my behind. I'm talking about the special things, your first bike, first gig, which I heard was amazing."

Kira smiled at him. "I promise dad, there are still so many milestones to hit. Today is a big one; I would have hated it if you weren't here to give me to Conner."

Bryce nodded swallowing. Over the last few weeks he'd seen the man his daughter loved. He was a warrior and the perfect choice for his daughter. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his daughter would be safe with him.

He kissed her forehead and then stepped back so that his wife and Kimberly could complete the finishing touches.

* * *

><p>Finally, all was ready.<p>

The bridal party stood at in the kitchen as Tanya and Aisha opened the doors to the patio. Kayla counted to five and then began her ever important task of scattering petals on the white runner that had been laid down for her. Behind her followed Melanie who looked radiant in her bridesmaid dress, and after her came Autumn.

It had been decided that the wedding would be held in the backyard between just on the other side of the flower garden, in the big expanse of the wide yard. Callista had outdone herself. Pale yellow bunting was draped over both sides of the aisle, pinned back with bouquets of white and red roses.

Somewhere she heard soft music playing, it sounded beautiful though she couldn't remember what selection she'd chosen. At the moment, she looked ahead to the altar where the man of her dreams stood waiting for her.

A sheer bridal canopy had been erected over the altar where the priest stood. Not that she really noticed.

Conner's eyes widened as he stared at her and felt his heart skip a beat…as if he'd suddenly forgotten how to breathe. Next to him, stood his twin who was also his best man, and next to him stood Ethan and Kyle stood in their best. Kyle stood straight and almost lost his calm demeanor as he saw his Corazon walking toward them. His eyes widened and he gulped loudly.

Ethan just squeezed his shoulder and Kyle took another deep breath and slipped his calm mask back on.

Bryce's face shown with pride as they approached the altar, and Conner's face shown with happiness. A wide grin stretched across his face.

The music finally died down as they stood in front of the priest. "Who gives this lovely woman to be married?"

Bryce grinned. "Her mother and I do."

When the priest nodded, He turned to Kira and kissed her cheek. Then he looked Conner in the eye. "Take care of my little girl for me."

"With my life," He answered back.

Bryce nodded and kissed Kira's hand before placing it in his soon to be son in law's hand. Then he sat down next to Karen and kissed his wife.

Conner now looked into Kira's eyes he smiled and kissed her forehead, just below the bridal circlet he'd bought her.

The priest began the opening lines and said something about unconditional love and how it was important. Conner was only listening for one line.

"And now our couple will say their vows." The priest turned to Conner first. "Do you, Conner True-Heart, take this woman, Kira Kinsington to be your wife? Do you swear here, in the sight of God, to love, honor and cherish this young woman, keeping yourself only for her? Do you swear to stay at her side no matter what fresh hell is leveled against you, in times of storm and calm, in sickness and health, in rich times and in famine, for as long as you both shall live?"

Conner nodded. "I do."

The priest nodded and then turned to Kira. "Do you, Kira Kinderson, take this man, Conner True-heart to be your husband? Do you swear here, in the sight of God, to love, honor and cherish this young man, keeping yourself only for him? Do you swear to stay at his side no matter what fresh hell is leveled against you, in times of storm and calm, in sickness and health, in rich times and in famine, for as long as you both shall live?

Kira nodded. "I do."

"Have you the rings?"

Ethan nodded and handed Conner the first ring. Conner slid the ring half way on Kira's finger and looked up at the priest.

Repeat after me," With this ring as a token of my undying love and affection I make you mine."

Kira smiled at him as he repeated the words of the priest and slid the ring on her finger.

When the priest looked her way, Melanie handed over the much thicker wedding band.

At the priest's prompting she slid the ring halfway on Conner's finger. "With this ring as a token of my undying love and affection, I make you mine."

Conner grinned and mouthed. "I love you."

Kira took a deep breath and mouthed back her love.

The priest waited till they were both looking at him again. "We have all heard the vows and witness the exchange of the rings. What God has brought together, let no man tear apart. By the power invested in me by the state of California, I declare you man and wife. Conner, you may kiss the bride."

Conner grinned at Kira. Then he took his wife in his arms and kissed her heatedly. Kira knew in her heart this was just a preview of what awaited them both that night. When the kiss was over,

Conner and Kira parted with breathless smiles on their faces.

The priest then spoke up as the newly married couple turned to face the guests. "It is now my honor and privilege to present to you all, for the first time. Mr. and Mrs. Conner True-Heart!"

Everyone stood and clapped for the new couple as they clasped hands, kissed once more and then walked back down the runner and under the archway.

Once they were back in the house, Conner kissed his new wife again. "We did it, Rockstar. We're married!"

Kira kissed him back and hugged him tightly. "We did. But I don't know how we'll make it through the reception when all I want to do is drag you to our bedroom."

Conner chuckled. "We'll tackle it like we always do…together."

The reception had been going on for over an hour; the food had been served and it was time for the first dances.

Conner stood up and held out his hand for Kira. Together they walked to the middle of the dance floor that had been set up in the middle of giant tent that had been set up in the backyard. The same DJ from before was there again, and he announced that the bride and groom's first dance was about to begin.

**Tonight it's very clear**  
><strong>'Cause we're both lying here<strong>  
><strong>There's so many things I wanna say<strong>  
><strong>I will always love you<strong>  
><strong>I would never leave you alone<strong>

**Sometimes I just forget**  
><strong>Say things I might regret<strong>  
><strong>It breaks my heart to see you crying<strong>  
><strong>I don't wanna lose you<strong>  
><strong>I could never make it alone<strong>

**I am a man who will fight for your honor**  
><strong>I'll be the hero you're dreaming of<strong>  
><strong>We'll live forever <strong>  
><strong>Knowing together<strong>  
><strong>That we did it all for the glory of love<strong>

**You keep me standing tall**  
><strong>You help me through it all<strong>  
><strong>I'm always strong when you're beside me<strong>  
><strong>I have always needed you<strong>  
><strong>I could never make it alone<strong>

**I am the man who will fight for your honor**  
><strong>I'll be the hero <strong>  
><strong>You've been dreaming of<strong>  
><strong>We'll live forever <strong>  
><strong>Knowing together that we did it all<strong>  
><strong>For the glory of love <strong>

**It's like a knight in shining armor**  
><strong>From a long time ago<strong>  
><strong>Just in time I will save the day<strong>  
><strong>Take you to my castle far away<strong>

**I am the man who will fight for your honor**  
><strong>I'll be the hero that your dreaming of<strong>  
><strong>We're gonna live for ever<strong>  
><strong>Knowing together<strong>  
><strong>That we did it all for the glory of love<strong>

**We'll live forever**  
><strong>Knowing together<strong>  
><strong>That we did it all for the glory of love<strong>  
><strong>We did it all for love<strong>

As the song ended, Conner kissed Kira again, and it seemed to go on forever. They broke the kiss when they heard the cheers and whistles and looked up as Bryce came towards them. He looked around the room and saw Karen waiting at the edge of the crowd. He gave her a grin as he walked over and held his hand out to her. She grinned back at him, accepted his hand and let her new son-in-law lead her to the dance floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kira swept up into her father's arms.

On and on the reception went. By the time the cake was cut and the wine flowed they were both ready to leave. Conner looked up as Tommy and Kim walked towards them. They stood up and looked at their mentor expectantly. "The limo is on its way. The both of you need to get upstairs and get into your travel clothes."

Conner sighed in relief. He had fun at the party, but he was ready to celebrate with his wife.

He took Kira's hand and led her into the house. To prevent any delay's they didn't watch each other change, using separate bedrooms. When they came out in simpler travel clothes, they saw an impatient Kayla standing between their rooms, Kyle and Autumn standing behind her.

"You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye were you?" Kayla asked looking up at them.

Conner and Kira sank down to her level. "Never, little Ninja," said Conner "We just have a plane to catch for our honeymoon. I promise we'll be back in about a week, okay?" Kayla just about knocked them over as she pulled them both into a hug.

Kayla nodded and then Autumn and Kyle both took turns giving hugs.

Then, hand in hand they descended the stairs one more time. Tommy and Kimberly standing there watching them, also hand in hand.

When they stepped onto the landing, they looked at their mentors expectantly.

"Your limo is here. But before you leave, we want you both to know how very proud we are of you," Tommy said giving them a smile. "We've seen you grow up before our eyes and have turned into amazing adults. Go enjoy your honeymoon, you've both earned it."

"Thanks guys!" Kira said giving both veterans big hugs. Conner and Tommy shared their own hugs before the two lovebirds held hands again and turned to the front door.

"Ready?" Conner asked.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Kira answered and the moment that Dr. O opened the door, they ran for the limo while birdseed rained down on them. Ethan and Trent laughed as the newlyweds dove for the fancy car. Ahead of them, Wes and Eric turned on their separate SUV's prepared to provide the honor guard for the younger veterans. They followed the limo all the way to the airport, and only once the plane took off did they head back to the manor.

* * *

><p>By the time the limo pulled up to the resort, the newlyweds were ready to explode. Though they'd messed around a little bit on the plane, they were both ravenous with need. The manager chuckled at the now horny adults but said nothing and instead drove the golf cart up to the honey moon cabin. The moment Conner had both their suit cases in hand, he and Kira were up the walk.<p>

"Wait here Kira, I have another tradition to adhere to." Conner said with a goofy look on his face. He opened the door and settled the bags just inside. Then he turned to Kira who was watching him with amusement, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her over the threshold.

Kira clung to him laughing, and laughed even louder when he settled her on the bed half falling on top of her. The moment of hilarity passed and they both realized that now there was nothing to keep them from making love, now that they were married.

Well, except for Kira's full bladder.

Conner was watching her and he brushed his thumb across her cheek. "Take all the time you need, Rockstar. I'm just going to make a call to the manor to let them know we made it."

Kira nodded and kissed him once more, and then she picked up her duffle bag and went into the bathroom. She was so nervous and excited at the same time. Her female parts were tingling in anticipation. After using the bathroom, she took a quick shower to calm her nerves and then she put on the bridal lingerie she had bought. Then, after fortifying herself, she opened the door and walked out into the room.

Conner froze when he saw her, he'd stripped down to just his boxer briefs and sat on the bed waiting for his bride…and the sight she made left him speechless.

He swallowed thickly and gazed at her body. She sported a sheer white baby-doll top over a modest (if it could be called that) thong. He'd seen more than one set of lingerie on magazines and through the front windows of Victoria's secret store at the mall, but damn. His nether regions reacted immediately and he had to take a deep breath to control himself, though he did reach down to make some adjustments.

Kira noticed and smiled down at him as she approached the bed.

Conner swallowed hard. "Um…Kira…damn…you're hot."

"Then you like it?" Conner could only nod as Kira knelt down before him. "What would you like me to do? There's nothing to hold us back anymore."

Conner took a deep breath and steadied himself. "You don't have to do anything Kira. Tonight I'm going to make love to you."

Kira watched him as he stood up and pulled her with him. He looked into her eyes. "This is our first time, and before you bring up that asshole, know that I'm disregarding him and that entire mess. This is your first time as far as I'm concerned. I want you to be vocal. If I hurt you, tell me…if I'm making you feel good, I want to know. When you come, I want to know. Now, tell me what you want me to do first."

"Touch me Conner. I'm wearing this set just for you."

Conner smiled at her and then kissed her lips, all the while his hand wandered down to her sex and he cupped her possessively. Kira moaned into his mouth as he pressed against the crotch of her panties. His hand left that area and traveled up to opening of the sheer top. He lifted the slit up that exposed her breasts to him, looking into her eyes as he captured one in his mouth and sucked gently on it. As he did that his other hand traveled back down to her pussy. Kira felt herself sink against Conner. His hands left her again and he broke the kiss. "I love you in this outfit, but it would be easier to touch you when it's not on you."

Kira smiled. "Undress me then, Conner." She grinned as her husband lifted the the top over her head and then sank to his knees, pulling the thong down with him. He inhaled her scent as she stepped out of the underwear and then looked back up at her. "Lay down, Kira."

Kira looked at him wide eyed as she climbed onto the bed and lay there with her legs spread for him. His authoritative tone of voice had turned her on and she could feel liquid on her thighs.

Conner crawled onto the bed after her and he stopped looking her over again. His wife was looking at him expectantly, and he pressed against her as he continued to make love to her breasts again, gently teasing her nipples till they stood up on their own.

"Conner, please!"

He smiled at her, and pressed a few fingers into her heat. "Ok, I'm going to take you slowly, but if I hurt you, you need to tell me."

Kira nodded as Conner got back off the bed and rid himself of his briefs, His cock was standing tall and proud once it was freed from its confines. Conner took a deep breath and massaged his length for a moment. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. He crawled back on top of Kira and pushed her legs farther apart, gazing at her pussy. Then he looked into Kira's eyes as he pressed himself inside. He had to go slowly because she was so tight around him and he worked himself in and out till finally he was fully inside her.

"Kira!" He breathed as he for the first time felt what it was like to be inside a woman. At Kira's loud gasping moan, He looked at Kira who had tears in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he kissed her lips.

"Yeah, this is just….so good. Make love to me Conner."

Conner kissed her again and moved pulling himself out a little bit and then pushed back in. With each thrust he felt wonder at how amazing everything felt. Kira was getting louder and louder with each moment. On and on this went, as he began to get a rhythm going. With each time he thrust in, he could feel his excitement building. Before long he could tell that he was going to cum. "Kira, I'm not going to last long. Please tell me you're close."

A moment later Kira began to buck against him and Conner watched her closely as she began to fist the sheets. "I'm there….oh damn…I'm there…." She said as her cries started to get louder.

Conner nodded and reached between them massaging her clit and moments later, she clinched around him and came hard. She screamed loudly and breathlessly as he for the first time felt her inner walls flutter again his length and he gasped loudly as he followed her over the edge.

When things died down, he lifted himself up and gazed at his wife. She looked up at him sated and happy, and a little giddy.

Conner breathed a sigh of relief. "You okay?" he asked. Kira nodded and leaned up, capturing his lips. He felt a little giddy himself. With another deep breath, he pulled himself out and stared down realizing for the first time that he'd forgotten to use a condom.

He looked at Kira but she didn't seem concerned. "It's okay Conner. We've waited long enough to start our lives together. If I get pregnant from this, then so be it."

Conner crawled up beside her and gathered her to him. "You're right. From now on we're using condoms but if I did just get you pregnant, then we'll deal with it. You're my wife now…and I'll take care of everything."

"We'll handle it together…we are one."

Conner kissed her shoulder as he pulled the covers over them. "Yes, we are. I love you, Rockstar."

"And I love you Jock. You were so worth the wait."

They fell asleep, content in one another's arms. They would make love several more times during the honeymoon, but tonight was a good start for them.

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><p><strong>So, this was the last regular chapter. Up next is the Epilogue. I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Let me know what you thought of it.<strong>

**Now, for the legalities. The song used for the first dance was "The Glory Of Love" by Peter Cetera and it was featured in The Karate Kid Part 2. (Amazing movie If you haven't seen the movie, it's on Netflix.)**

**See you guys then!**


	37. Epiloge: Dreams Come True

**And so we've come to the end of this fic. Just in time for the end of this year...it's kind of fitting. **

**I can't believe that this is done after three years of working on this thing. I never expected it to take this long!**

**I want to remind every one that even though this fic has come to an end, the story still continues in the next fic...there is much more story to tell and lots of loose ends to tie up!**

**I'm telling you, Mertmidnightangel is a freaking rockstar for getting this fic back to me before the new year! Everyone give her a standing ovation!**

**Ok, on with it, I'm about to get my party on!**

* * *

><p><strong>One week later<strong>

**At a Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Reefside.**

Conner and Kira lay in a very comfortable bed, their feet tangled and just peeking out underneath the comforter. They'd had a week at the mountain resort, and had now made it back to Reefside. This hotel had come highly recommended by Tommy and Kim, and later on they would meet back at the house where it all began. Today, they would make an appearance to a very special birthday boy.

Kira was currently lying on Conner's chest, her messy hair sprawled out behind her. She giggled softly as her husband rubbed her back in circles. In fact, they both were feeling giddy, as they reveled in their post coital bliss.

"I love you, Kira," he said softly as he kissed her cheek.

"I love you too, Conner," she replied as she moved off of him.

He closed his eyes, silently wanting to go another round with her. But just as he was about to reach for her, his conscience reminded him of what Jason had said during the bachelor party.

He closed his eyes and lay back, making an effort to calm himself. Kira lifted her head up and looked at him.

"Everything okay, Jock?"

Conner smiled at her. "Yeah, it's all good. I've just become spoiled by you and I'm afraid I haven't been looking after you like I should have been."

Kira gave him a confused look. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Conner turned on his side, kissed her softly and pushed a stray tendril of hair away from her face. "It's a piece of advice given to me by Jason…about losing control and then accidently going too rough on you. I mean, I know you're tough as nails, but-"

"You're afraid you've hurt me, with all the sex we've had."

Conner nodded, not meeting her eyes.

Kira moved over so that she was close to him again. "You've been amazing Conner. I've enjoyed all the sex and love making we've done. Trini spoke to me too during my party too. Apparently you reds have a major guilt complex and I get it, but you need to trust that I'd tell you if you hurt me or if you needed to slow down."

"And have I?"

"I won't lie…I'm a little sore, but a good kind of sore. It means that I've been completely ravished by my amazing husband. It's nothing that a good hot soak in that very big bathtub won't fix. In fact, I'm going to make it a priority when we go house shopping to make sure there is a big deluxe bathtub included…and if there isn't, then it will need to be installed after the house is ours."

Conner chuckled and kissed her again. "Okay, got it. A deluxe bathtub in our master suite, right next to my dream shower. I'll put that on the list. With a very sturdy towel bar." He grinned again at that reference. "I'll make sure that it's very steady and rock hard, like me."

Kira grinned at him. He was shameless lover, that was certain. She kissed him and moved on top of him again.

And then his cellphone rang.

Kira sighed and lay down on his chest again.

Conner glared at the cell phone again but then kissed Kira again as he reached for it. He looked at the digital display and saw it was Tommy's number. He growled but pushed the button to receive the call. "Yeah, this is Conner. Is the world being attacked again?"

"_**Conner?"**_came Kayla's soft voice**. **_**"Are you awake yet?"**_

Conner's eyes widened and he looked at Kira. "Yeah, Little Ninja, we're awake. What's up?"

"_**Daddy said you guys needed a wake-up call."**_

Kira lifted her head up from Conner's chest and glanced at the clock. "It is after 8 am. We promised to be at their house around 10 for breakfast."

Conner kissed her forehead and rubbed circles on her back. "Ok, we'll be there. You tell your daddy to keep to the bro code from now on and that we'll expect a gourmet breakfast too."

In the background he could hear Tommy laughing. "Got it. Bacon, eggs, pancakes and sausage." Then he was laughing again.

Conner looked ready to say something, but Kira kissed his lips and took the cell phone away from him.

"Hey Kayla. Good morning! Thanks for the wakeup call. Now we have plenty of time to get ready."

"_**You're welcome. See you later Kira!"**_

"Bye Little Ninja." Then she hung up the phone and gave Conner an amused glance. "What am I going to do with you?"

Conner gave her a mischievous grin. "I can think of a few things."

Kira rolled her eyes. "Come on Jock. You said you wanted to take good care of me. I could go for a nice hot soak in that big bathtub."

Conner sat up and stretched. "Okay, let me get the water running for you." Then he got up and walked to the bathroom. Kira sighed and stretched a bit more and slowly she got up. She was deliciously sore but she was thrilled about it. After another few minutes she reached over to the bed stand and picked up the scrunchie she'd packed and put her hair up in a bun. Then she got up and walked to the bathroom.

* * *

><p><strong>A couple of hours later<strong>

**1992 Valencia Dr.**

Kayla was all but vibrating with excitement as the red mustang pulled up the dirt drive. Conner pulled up the emergency break before he got out of the car. With a grin he walked over to Kira's side of the car and held open the door for her to get out.

And Kayla could wait no longer. With an excited grin she ran towards them. Conner saw her coming and knelt holding out his arms for her.

"Conner, Kira! I missed you!"

Kira joined in the hug as the parents watched them.

"We missed you too! Have you been holding down the fort?"

Kayla nodded. "I've been helping Daddy get things ready for you guys to go visit the hospital."

Conner gave her a serious look. "And are they ready? This is a very special trip today. We got to make it look good."

At that Tommy laughed. "Yes guys, everything's prepared. While you and Kira were away, the rest of us gave the bikes tune-ups and aired out the power suits. Then the bikes got a thorough cleaning and a power wash.

"And I helped clean the helmets inside and out." Kayla added. "Daddy even let me hold the Shield of Triumph."

"It's cool isn't it?"

Kayla nodded. "And heavy too!"

"Alright guys, that enough for now. It's time for breakfast, the heroes got to be well fed before they go grant wishes!"

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><p><strong>Two hours later<strong>

Kira, in full Ranger gear, zipped up the back of Conner's suit. Conner turned and kissed her after she was done. Then he held up her gloves.

"This was so much easier when we could automatically morph into them. "

Kira laughed and kissed him again. "Yeah, I know. But suck it up buttercup, unless some cosmic force re-energizes our powers again, we'll have to do things manually from now on."

Conner scoffed. "Yeah, as if some mega-war is gonna drag us into the hero business again. What, is there some devastatingly huge alien armada out there in space that has their sights set on conquering our planet?"

Kira gave him 'the look'. "According to Andros, Space is huge, and our galaxy is just one of millions out there. It could very well happen."

Conner heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I know. Let's just hope that there will be another team of teenagers to fight them. I want us to live our lives not having to worry about another alien invasion or something."

Kira took the gloves from him and held them out for him to slip his hands into. Then she helped him tug them into place.

"I know, but we both know that evil never stays away long. When and if they need us, then we'll be at the ready to help them out. But for now, we'll focus on just living out our happily ever after. Okay?"

Conner grinned at her. "Okay Rockstar."

Kira kissed him again. "Then let's get outside."

Hand in hand, they walked out into the front yard where the bikes were waiting on the drive way. Conner grinned seeing his bike and kissed Kira's gloved hands before walking over to his bike and straddling it.

Kira walked up to him and took in the sight. "Damn, you look good on there. All fierce and handsome."

"I could say the same to you, my sexy wife."

"I could kiss you for that."

"Then don't hold back." He teased her and when she did, he leaned into the kiss and pressed into it a moment before he realized what letting the kiss continue would do.

He gently pulled away from her and took a deep breath. "Easy Kira, it's not a good idea to get me all excited while wearing the suit. I can't hide things as well as you can."

Hearing laughter coming from behind them, Kira slid back down and turned to see Ethan and Melanie. "He's got a point, Kira." Then he straddled the bike himself and caressed the handle bars. "I've miss this bike."

A second later, Tommy and Kimberly came out carrying the newly polished helmets. They paused as Tommy sat down on his four-wheeler and checked his gauges. He looked up at something Kimberly said and laughed, then he kissed her. A moment later Kayla walked out the door with Trent behind her. They both were dressed in dark jeans and he wore what looked like a t-shirt with their cosplay group name and logo on it. Kayla was wearing a smaller version of the shirt and it was tied up in the back to make it fit her better. Also, her hair was put up in pigtails and she wore what looked like brand new boots.

Kira looked on as the duo walked up to them with their helmets. "I guess you found a way to come along today huh?"

Kayla nodded. "Yeah, I get to be a helper."

"Yep, if anyone asks she's my little cousin that wanted to help out and meet the Power Rangers."

Kira giggled. "Well in Power Ranger standards she_ is_ your cousin. We're all in the Power Ranger Family."

Trent nodded, not fighting his own smile as he handed Conner his helmet. He kissed Kira one last time and then put the helmet on. When Kayla went to hand Kira's helmet over, Conner held his hand out and accepted the helmet for her. Pausing to let Kira check the loose bun she'd put her hair in earlier, he kissed her once more and lovingly put her helmet on, holding it still so she could close the snaps on the sides. Then with one last glance, she got on her own bike.

Behind them, Ethan watched with a dorky smile as Mel put the helmet on him. He reached out and touched her baby bump before looking up at her.

"Go be a hero, baby."

"Will do."

Trent stood in front of them now with a file in his hand.

"So, the boy your meeting, in case you guys forgot, is Joey Addison. He's turning 9 today. I checked in with him yesterday and he's having a rough time. He's been fitted with some artificial legs, but he's not taking to them very well. He's gotten very frustrated and only my reassurance that you're coming for his party today brightened his mood. His dad is a single parent, I have no idea where the mother is, but it takes one to know one. I'd bet my inheritance that she's long gone. He never spoke of having a mother. The dad's kind of skeptical about the rangers, but he tolerates his son's enthusiasm. Today could make or break his opinion on us."

Tommy nodded at this. "I'll handle the father. You guys just worry about the kid."

Ethan looked up at Trent. "What's your part in all this?"

"I can't join you guys in the suits today, my girlfriend and I are just liaisons to the Rangers. We're repping our charity cosplay group. The Make A Wish Foundation was going to fly their banner over this, but we were afraid that you guys would start getting snowed by requests from other hospitals and you'd never get to live your lives without having to visit hospitals all the time. This whole thing is being funded by my dad, and all you guys are here by choice. Cassidy is doing a story about this for the evening news, but since she's on our side, she's not going to press you for any details about your personal lives."

Trent paused and looked down at the file in his hands. "So, that about does it. We'll be meeting up with Cassidy in the parking lot of Haley's restaurant and then joining up with a police escort." At Conner's shifting on his bike, a nervous gesture he'd picked up in his ranger days, Trent looked up.

"Take it easy, Conner, these guys are on our side. After we took down The Klan, all the police departments all over the country started looking into their own departments and Reefside PD was the first to do so. My dad had a sit down with them, and he gave his assurance that you had nothing to worry about. The escort is all for show anyway."

Conner was quiet before he nodded in agreement. Kimberly walked up to him and squeezed his shoulder and the red ranger settled back on his seat again.

"That's about it, so let's get going."

* * *

><p><strong>30 minutes later<strong>

Little Joey sat next to the window in his wheel chair. In his lap was a thick blanket and a soccer ball. He hated that he couldn't play soccer anymore. He'd had big dreams of playing soccer and joining a professional team, but those dreams were gone now, he was sure of it. He'd never run again.

"Joey?" called his father. But the kid wasn't listening. Just around the corner came loud sirens…police sirens! He tried to lean as best he could and saw to his astonishment….the Power Rangers!

"It's them! That guy did it! He got them to come! I can see the Red Ranger in front. He's riding a motor-cycle!"

Joey's dad was next to him in the next minute.

"Unbelievable!" He muttered to himself. He'd never thought the rangers would actually show up. He'd only seen them on motorbikes once…and if these were cosplayers like he'd originally thought, there's no way they would have the funds to build exact replicas…not in the time since his son made that impossible wish.

"I told ya so!" his son said as he turned from the window.

His father took a deep breath and turned, forcing a smile. "Okay, let's get those prosthetics on!"

Joey sighed but did as his father asked. For a moment his high spirits sank…and his father noticed. Mr. Addison sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "I know you don't like these things," he said holding up one of the prosthetics, but what if you could run in these, you wouldn't have to give up those soccer dreams. You could play on a special team and everything!"

"It just feels so weird Dad, they're not my legs. I just wish that stupid bastard had just watched how fast he was going!"

Mr. Addison was shocked. "We don't use that word, young man."

"But _you_ said it when you were talking to the doctor!"

Mr. Addison had nothing to say to that. He could remember that ugly conversation when he'd been told his son would lose both legs.

He sighed. "I know son, but grown-ups use that kind of language when we're angry."

"But I'm angry too!"

Before the argument could continue any further, a new voice spoke up.

"Being angry on your birthday…that's kind of a bummer."

Both son and father's head shot up to the door way. The red ranger was there in front of them! Joey's mouth gaped open.

The Red ranger was leaning casually in the door way with his arms crossed over his chest. "You're here already!" Joey's exclaimed.

Conner was grinning behind his helmet. "That's because by some miracle I've retained my super speed ability. I thought I'd lost it when we lost our ranger powers. The others will be up in here in a minute." He glanced around the room and his eyes landed on both the soccer ball and the boy holding the ball in his lap.

He pushed off the door way and walked over to crouch in front of the boy's chair. "I heard through the grapevine that a special birthday boy made a really big wish…to meet me. But you sure look like an even bigger soccer fan."

"I like you both…I really do. I used to be on a soccer team, but that jerk took away my legs and I can't play anymore. Since I can't run any more, I thought about you…and wished big to meet you."

Conner grimaced and reached out for the soccer ball. And the little boy handed it to him. "I get it, Joey. I'm a soccer fan too." He inspected the ball before tossing it in the air and catching it. "Before I became a power ranger I played all the time."

"You mean you're not space aliens?"

The Red Ranger shook his head. "Not all of us are. There are ranger teams who came from space, even way outside of this galaxy, but some of us humans became rangers too. But I didn't come here to talk about me. Happy Birthday Joey."

By then the rest of the rangers had made it to the room. The yellow ranger and Blue ranger watched from the door way as the Black Ranger walked into the room. Mr. Addison looked up when he came into the room.

"You're all here?"

The black ranger paused. "No, the white ranger, the good one, is at an out of state college. He had a big presentation to make that he couldn't get out of. But the rest of us are here to celebrate your son's birthday. The black ranger looked at the father. "You seem kind of stressed, anything we can help with?"

Mr. Addison sighed. "I don't know. My son isn't very enthusiastic about the artificial limbs. These will help him to walk again, but he's not willing to put them on."

"I don't like them Dad, they don't feel right."

Conner was on it. "I bet they do. I've never had to wear prosthetics before, but I've had to wear heavy ranger armor, and that felt kind of weird too."

Joey looked at the red ranger. "Really?"

"Oh yeah, the armor was kind of heavy, no matter what our technical expert said."

Joey was sucked into the conversation. "Is that what's on your back?"

Conner paused, not remembering putting the shield on before they left. Then he caught on. "Oh, this?" He asked sliding the shield off his back.

Joey nodded.

"Well, this was part of it. This is the Shield of Triumph. I had to borrow power from my team mates to activate it and access my battle gear, and it was like having to wear robot armor. I needed it to fight the big monster we were facing…and I couldn't do it with just my basic Dino armor. It's kind of like those limbs over there. Without it, you're kind of stuck in this chair."

Behind his mask, Tommy raised an eyebrow and looked at the father to see his reaction. His father seemed to watch his son with bated breath.

Joey seemed to think it over as he ran his hands over the surface of the shield. Conner hefted it into the boys lap for a moment. Several more minutes passed until finally, Joey looked up at the red ranger.

"I guess if you can wear that heavy battle armor then I can try that fake legs on."

Conner put a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "Ok, let's get them on and get the party started." Then, the red ranger backed away so that the father could put the wiry legs on. Behind him Kira hugged him from behind, having fallen in love with her new husband all over again. Conner grinned and patted his wife's gloved hands.

Several minutes later, Joey sat in his chair with the 'fake legs' on and his dad held out his hands to him. Joey hesitated for a moment and then took his dad's hand and slowly stood on the limbs.

They still felt weird. But slowly with his dad's help, one leg was put in front of the other and The Red Ranger stood in the door way watching. The dad helped him to the door where Conner held his hand out. "Look at you, walking! I bet you're going to be running on those things soon and then its soccer time."

Joey beamed up at his hero. "You really think so?"

The red ranger was nodding. "Yeah, as long as you keep going strong with your physical therapy and don't give up. I think you have a good chance of that happening."

Tommy looked over at the father. His eyes looked relieved and just a little watery. His chest was just about bursting with pride.

Joey was just about to say something, but his stomach growled. The red ranger chuckled. "I guess it's party time huh?

Joey grinned and nodded. "Can you help me to the party room?"

The Red Ranger looked at the dad. "Is that ok with you?"

The dad nodded looking grateful. "Yeah, I'll just push the wheel chair behind you guys."

* * *

><p><strong>At The Manor in Angel Grove<strong>

Conner and Kira sat before the fire in the living room. The party had been a blast, though they'd had to leave once Conner's stomach started growling. The father had thanked Conner profusely for all that had been done for his son.

There had been more than one surprise waiting for the birthday boy. The biggest one being that Trent had presented the father with a check via Anton Mercer that would pay off everything that the insurance couldn't cover for the hospital bills. The father had been reduced to tears when he heard that.

When the party was over, just before leaving, Conner had given the boy a smaller replica of his Dino Thunder gem hanging on a silver chain. It had no power in it, but the boy had been thrilled all the same and had put it on immediately. The last and final gift before they had left was that Conner had signed the boy's soccer ball with a red permanent marker. He hadn't used his real name of course, but from the way Joey Addison was beaming, that birthday had been his best ever.

Now, after sharing another shower with once they'd gotten back to the manor, they both sat on the couch wrapped up in a blanket as they both reflected silently on the day.

"What you did for that boy today was amazing. I think you made his life."

Conner chuckled but then went silent again. "I know we have a few things left to do before we start our lives, officially. But once the house is bought and we settle in working for the dojo…I want to go ahead with my soccer camp idea.

That kid in the hospital inspired me to get it started." He paused and looked up at his wife. If that's okay with you…we can also get your dream started too."

Kira shook her head. "No, I want to work on the soccer camp too. I gave up on being a professional Rockstar a while ago, not that the crazy producer guy didn't help…he sort of tainted it for me. I may go play with my dad and his band, and sometimes play at Haley's Café, but there are no neon dreams in my future anymore."

Conner looked into Kira's eyes. I hate that you're giving up on your dreams so easily.

"I'm not giving up on my dreams, just that one dream. They've changed a bit since we first picked up the gems, I don't want fame or glory anymore. I just want to play music and be with you. Even if I spent the rest of my life, bearing our children, being a soccer mom and helping you run that camp, I'm good with that. I have you and my guitar and right now, that's good enough for me."

"And if the call comes to take up our mantels again?"

"Then we'll be together, kicking evil's butt."

Conner had to laugh at that one as Kira continued.

"But for now, let's just work on being Conner and Kira True-heart- In love and blissfully happy for the rest of our lives, okay?"

Conner kissed her heatedly then. When they came up for air, Conner echoed her.

"Okay."

**The End…for now.**

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><p><strong>So, what did you all think? Leave me lots of love!<strong>


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